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THE CRUISE OF THE 

“ODIN” 

BY 

JOHN COLEMAN 



1923 

THE CORNHILL PUBLISHING COMPANY 

BOSTON 













y 

COPTBIQHT 1923 

By THE CORNHILL PUBLISHING COMPANY 


-> 





Printed in the United States of America 


THE JORDAN & MORE PRESS 
BOSTON 


OCT-1’23 \ 

\ 

©C1A7 9013 4 

I > * 


TO G. E. C. 


AND THE ODIN DAYS 







CONTENTS 


Chapter Page 

I Sam Introduces His Idea ... 3 

II How the Idea Struck Tim Brady . 19 

III Fish Still Swim in the Sea . . 35 

IV A Night and a Morning ... 51 

V How Certain Plans were Upset . 69 

VI When Gunners Shoot .... 88 

VII The Run to the Outer Brewster . 105 

VIII Hull Still has its Attractions . 123 

IX What Happened to Si . . . . 143 

X Mr. Snow Gets a Surprise . . . 161 

XI The Fascinating Betty . . . 180 

XII The Chief’s Head Floating on the 

Sea 19o 

XIII Dawson’s Schemes.218 

XIV Plymouth and a Garden Party . 236 

XV The Storm and what Came of It . 254 

XVI Marblehead Neck.270 

XVII The Run for Home.285 

XVIII All-Round Surprises at the Finish 301 



THE CRUISE OF THE “ODIN” 



The Cruise of the “Odin” 

CHAPTER I 

SAM INTRODUCES HIS IDEA 

On this wonderful twenty-third day of June, 
Samuel Virs and Silas Epping were in the standing- 
room of the “ Odin,” looking into the picturesque 
mouth of the Weymouth River as it opened into 
Quincy Bay, while their stanch and yet unbeaten 
Cape-Cat was defying the smart, puffy southwest 
wind to knock her down. 

The two chums were, at this very moment, 
looking upon as pretty a picture of gleaming water 
and colorful banks as is ever given the eye to see. 
From the point where they were now looking the 
river had turned inland upon itself, lost for a time 
only to appear at some unlooked-for place, and 
gleaming as before, to let Sam and Si know that 
it was not really lost but only playing the merry 
game of hide-and-seek. 


4 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


As they looked toward the river’s banks they 
saw masses of wild roses in their lovely pink 
bloom, while behind the roses were massed sumac 
bushes and bay. The boys felt a tug at their 
hearts, because all this beauty belonged to Wey¬ 
mouth, and Weymouth was theirs and they were 
Weymouth’s. 

Rivers can be compared just as nations or 
people can be compared, and if one wanted to 
compare the Weymouth to such rivers, say as the 
Mississippi and the Amazon, it would be like com¬ 
paring a baby’s finger to a giant’s arm. But for 
Sam Virs and Si Epping the Weymouth was the 
one river of the world — so greatly did they love 
it; they had been born near its shallows; they 
had swum in its tides; they had skiffed along its 
winding shores, using only an oar for rudder; 
they had caught eels and smelts on the incoming 
tide; and best of all, when the river was at the 
full, they had sailed the “ Odin ” up and down its 
green and windy stretches. 

The “ Odin! ” — how those boys loved her! The 
boat really was Sam’s, but as Si was always with 
Sam the question of ownership never once arose. 
Each thought of the “ Odin ” just as one would 


Sam Introduces His Idea 


5 


think of one of his own family, and what a craft she 
was for her size! For fleetness and stiffness, there 
was nothing to match her in Quincy Bay. She 
could give any small yacht in that whole region, — 
any yacht less than forty feet on the water line, a 
good running start, and then overhaul her before 
she had got accustomed to her own gait. She had 
yet to lose a race; and in a breeze had yet to make 
her first surrender. Blow as hard as ever it would, 
after her rail was well into the water not another 
inch would she give. In the town of Weymouth 
itself her reputation was that her mast would be 
blown clean out of her rather than that she would 
capsize. 

It was a delight to watch the “ Odin ” from the 
shore. The slightest stir of wind would set her in 
motion, and when other boats acted as if they 
were dead in a calm she would move along so 
gracefully as if she had the right of way. Whether 
it was the slant of her mast, or the set of her sail, 
or some secret understanding she had with the 
elements themselves, which kept her moving along 
so wonderfully, no one could say. Both Sam and 
Si had their own private opinions about her be¬ 
havior, but they never could be got to express 


6 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


them; but both felt that strange tug at the heart 
when the “ Odin ” was mentioned, that we all feel 
for those we love. 

The “ Odin ” was a thoroughbred and she 
showed it. Let an unceremonious puffy south¬ 
west wind strike at her, as if to knock her down, 
and she would fight for her rights just as a high- 
mettled man or boy will when hit in the face. 
First she would lift that proud, beautiful bow of 
hers, and then dash forward, straining at halyards 
and blocks, straight for that wind. Those on deck 
would feel her sensitive body tremble from stem 
to stern and, in her rush forward, turn the ocean 
into seething foam. And yet with all this show of 
mettle and high-spirit the “ Odin ” would never 
neglect the hand on her tiller. At its every touch 
she would respond with obedience. In a heavy 
blow Sam or Si might have to use a little more 
muscle to keep her head just where he wanted it, 
just as a man will with a spirited animal when 
moving at his best. But the muscle was there and 
the “ Odin ” knew it. But on a summer’s day, 
sent on her voyages with summer winds, almost 
a finger on the tiller would guide her. There never 
was a yacht more obedient. The “ Odin ” never 


Sam Introduces His Idea 


7 


worked herself into stays, never got grouchy and 
spilled the wind out of her sail as so many boats do 
when running free in a sea. There was nothing 
treacherous about her. All her fine qualities were 
constant and dependable. The day’s work of one 
day would be duplicated on every other day. In 
calm and storm, in sunshine and weather, on the 
Weymouth, or on Massachusetts Bay, the “ Odin ” 
was always the “ Odin.” No wonder, then, that 
Sam and Si would rather sail on her deck than on 
the deck of the proudest Cunarder that ever put 
forth from Boston. 

Sam was not given to any boastfulness, but it 
must be confessed that when he got to thinking of 
the virtues of his great boat he could not help 
himself from feeling just a bit sentimental. But 
if there was any boasting to be done then his 
friends would have to do that. 

On this very twenty-third day of June, because 
the “ Odin ” had been behaving so perfectly, he 
had burst out to Si: “ Say, Si, she’s no boat at all, 
she’s a human and a good deal more human than 
some. I really believe,” and here Sam’s senti¬ 
mentality crept in, “ she’s got a mind and a heart, 
just as the rest of us have, and a body of nerves of 


8 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


her own, like some high-born lady. Why, she feels 
everything, old man, and she thrills me! ” 

To this sentimental speech Si made reply: 
“You are quite right Sam, she’s a lady all right, 
masquerading for the present as a boat. Yes! 
I’m just as daffy over her as you are.” And to all 
this foolish speech and pride of the “ Odin,” she 
showed her appreciation by dipping her side an 
inch farther into the water, as the wind freshened, 
and made for the “ Manfred,” a thirty-five foot 
sloop yacht sailing on the port tack, as if she were 
possessed. 

The wind was blowing off-shore about fifteen 
miles an hour, with an occasional puff hitting at 
twenty-five. They were running pretty well into 
the wind on this tack and Si had the sail trimmed 
in almost as flat as a board. As these twenty-five 
mile an hour puffs would hit the “ Odin,” not an 
ease up on the sheet-rope would he give. The 
pride of their hearts took the full brunt of the 
blows, and she took them grandly. She would turn 
her high bow a point or two nearer the wind and 
leap for the “ Manfred,” and in the leap show the 
half of her under body, while the water would 
surge and hiss at her as if in fright. There was 


Sam Introduces His Idea 


9 


never a let up of her speed until the “ Manfred ” 
was well in the rear. 

“ She’s wonderful! ” exulted Si. 

“ She’s marvelous! ” sang Sam. Then the two 
chums looked at each other a little foolishly, and 
laughed. It was at that moment that Sam had his 
inspired idea! 

“ Why not take the ‘ Odin ’ along the coast for 
a short or long cruise as a money-maker for us? 
What do you say for a summer away from home 
and not show our faces in Weymouth again until 
September first? My idea is this, you and I are 
stiff about going to Harvard this year. But I 
don’t see how we can do it unless the ‘ Odin ’ 
does it for us. Since father’s death — here Sam 
halted for a few seconds — mother’s had all she 
can do to stagger under the current expense, and I 
can’t ask her to meet my college bills. You know 
how prices have been soaring since the war. If 
I go to Harvard I must somehow find the means 
myself. And you have to face a similar necessity, 
I take it, Si, from the few things you have doped 
to me, since your father’s failure, I know your 
people are not living on ‘ easy street.’ I am sure 
that your dad would do everything he could to 


10 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


send you to college, but I know your cussed pride, 
and in his present trouble you wouldn’t let him 
even if he offered to. If you go to Harvard you 
go by your own efforts. But say, Si, the thing can 
be done, and here’s where the 1 Odin ’ comes in. 
She’s safe in any wind or weather. She’d live 
where any boat can live. She’s built for cruising, 
and people love to cruise. The ‘ Odin’s ’ lines 
are taking, she’s beautiful to look upon,” — at this 
point Sam could not keep the ring of pride out of 
his voice, “ people will fall in love with her the 
moment they see her. Now my scheme is this: 
Let us take the ‘ Odin ’ along the coast just as a 
money-maker. 

“ During the summer there are always plenty 
of people at the resorts who haven’t a boat of their 
own, but who love yachting just as we do. Now 
what I propose is to get some of these people 
interested in our venture. Why, we can get up 
yachting parties for the hour, or day, or week. 
The 1 Odin ’ can tackle anything. Why, just 
consider how it looks from various angles. Say 
we take out parties by the hour. We can manage 
ten to twenty on board, for a short run, anytime. 

“ Just for argument’s sake what’s the matter 


Sam Introduces His Idea 


11 


with ten persons at fifty cents an hour? That’s 
$5.00 an hour. If we can do a business of five 
hours at that rate, that’s $25.00 a day. Why 
man! that’s one hundred and fifty a week, and 
nothing doing on Sunday. And suppose we can 
pick up a party of six say, who want to go for a 
week’s cruise. Why, one hundred and fifty a week, 
food extra, wouldn’t be out of the way. Si, the 
thing can be pulled off. It isn’t hot wind I’m 
giving you. It’s a cinch, I’m sure of it. We can 
do it with the ‘ Odin.’ What do you say? Is it a 
go? ” What Sam got for answer was a whack 
on the back, and a voice full of encouragement 
speaking these words: 

“ Sam, the scheme is a whopper, it’ll work. 
I’m with you and up to the limit. While you 
have been enthusing I have been holding in, 
purposely, just to let you talk yourself out without 
any coloring from me. I wanted you to do your 
own tackling without any coaching from me, and 
your tackling was brilliant, old man. It’s a nifty 
scheme you’ve proposed. While you were getting 
it off your chest, I was thinking of Hull, and 
Nantasket, and Plymouth, and Provincetown on 
the south shore, and Lynn, and Marblehead, and 


12 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


Gloucester on the north shore, and then around 
Cape Ann to Portsmouth, and Old Orchard and 
Portland. Say, our fortune’s made! I am with 
you up to the peak for the two months unless,” 
and here a perceptible frown came on Si’s face, 
“ my people set up too great a howl. But they’ll 
calm down all right just as soon as they realize 
that it is your idea, that it is the ‘ Odin ’ we are 
going in, and that the outcome of it all means your 
and my going to Harvard.” 

At these encouraging words from Si, Sam’s face 
took on a big smile as he turned to Si, and beamed: 
“ You are all right, Si. I knew that I should find 
you there with your go-ahead. You are a bully 
good fellow as always.” Then Sam’s face sobered, 
as he said: 

“ Oh! I shan’t have the easiest time in the world 
either persuading my mother to agree to it. 
She’ll hate to have me go as much as I hate to 
leave her. But we have to look at the matter 
sensibly. Here is a real opportunity and in the end 
she’ll see it as we do. I have been working the 
thing out in this way: My Aunt Susan in Vermont 
has been writing for the last month urging us both 
to be with her this summer. Now if I can persuade 


Sam Introduces His Idea 


13 


mother to go alone to Vermont, while you and I 
are away on the ‘ Odin/ I shall be perfectly easy 
in my mind so far as my mother is concerned. 
Mother will fuss and fume a good deal, especially 
at the first, but in the end she will come round to 
my point of view because she is almost as anxious 
that I should go to Harvard as I am myself. 
It was my father’s wish that I should go to his 
college, that I must have a college education, and 
mother is just as eager to carry out his wishes as I 
am. Say, Si, ease your sheet-rope ” — this rather 
excitedly for Sam. “ Did you notice the mud being 
churned up by our stern? ” “ While we have been 
garruling so steadily we have been forgetting all 
about the ‘ Odin ’ and running her too near the 
shore. What do you say for a run home to talk 
the thing out? ” Whereupon Si payed out his 
sheet-rope and Sam gave the tiller a few more 
notches on the comb, while the full bow of the 
“ Odin ” made for the Weymouth River as the 
waters of the bay sucked and foamed anew. 
Like a great bird feeling the power of its wings 
and coming to new strength in sight of home, so 
the “ Odin ” seemed to gather herself on her run 
for the land. Her canvas bellied to the fresh 


14 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


breeze as she gracefully worked up the curves of 
the river. 

The “ Odin’s ” mooring lay just inside a sweep 
of the river in a tiny bay protected from wind 
and tide. Into this bay Sam now shot her. When 
about three hundred feet from his mooring he ran 
the yacht into the wind, while Si quickly drew in 
his sheet-rope hand over hand. Then with a 
nicety of judgment the steersman pointed the 
“ Odin’s ” bow for the white-can buoy, with Si 
standing ready with boat-hook in hand to pick 
it up. 

Now one of the sure tests of whether a fellow 
knows how to sail a yacht is, not only what he does 
in a breeze, but what he does at his mooring. 
For it sometimes is a ticklish piece of business to 
pick up creditably a buoy. To an onlooker it may 
look simple enough, especially when he is viewing 
the work of an expert. It’s a simple thing not 
to come up to the mark; and it is a simple thing to 
overshoot it. Then it is a try over, and often to the 
guys and jeers of the onlookers. Then in a heavy 
wind, in a small boat at least, there is some peril 
of being capsized, or of being blown on a lea shore, 
or of being hit on the head with the jigging boom. 


Sam Introduces His Idea 


15 


In a very light wind there are not so many attend¬ 
ing dangers for, if one misses his guess of distance, 
and so missing his mooring his yacht has a 
maddening way of refusing to come about and of 
remaining in stays, and there you are. 

But Sam and Si were neither greenhorns nor 
first-timers. They had played this wonderful 
game of yachting too many times to get caught 
at this juncture. Sam’s judgment was to the 
manner born. Si’s pick-up was a trick of art. 
When the crotches were put under the boom there 
was the “ Odin ” gently pulling at her road-stead 
like some great swan. 

Then the creamy-white sail was lowered and 
folded along the boom, the deck was given its 
customary flush and the cabin door locked. A 
few minutes afterwards Sam was pulling long 
steady strokes in the tender for home. 

“ Mother,” said Sam that day as they sat down 
to dinner, “ Si and I have a plan on for the sum¬ 
mer, that I want you to fall in with, — there’s a 
dear. You are to visit Aunt Susan for two months 
while Si and I are to take the ‘ Odin ’ for cruises 
along Massachusetts Bay, putting in at night at 
the harbors we both know so well. The truth is, 


16 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


mother, we have a little scheme afoot that is sure 
to get us into Harvard College. We must try it 
out! It is only a simple little plan, but we both 
believe in it, and you will too, I know, just as 
soon as you know about it. It’s something like 
this: we propose to take out yachting parties by 
the hour, or day, or week; and it means that, 
hard as it will be for us both to be away from home, 
we have got to do it in order to win out with our 
plan. Now, instead of my going with you to 
Vermont, I want your consent so that Si and I can 
leave on the ‘ Odin ’ next week. You know the 
1 Odin/ mother, and you know that we shall be 
safe on her as if we were in a house. Nothing can 
happen to the ‘ Odin.’ No wind can do any¬ 
thing to her. She rides the sea like a duck, and if 
the mast were blown out of her she wouldn’t 
capsize; and you know that father felt safer on 
her than he did on anything else afloat.” 

“ But Sam dear,” broke in his mother, “ Two 
months! whatever can I do without you in all 
that time? And if anything should happen to 
you! ” Here the dear voice lost its firmness, and 
she gave Sam a pitiful little smile. 

“ Why, mother, what can happen to me? You 


Sam Introduces His Idea 


17 


know that the ‘ Odin ' can weather anything; and 
you also know that father taught me every trick 
at sailing. He even told me once, that in an 
emergency, he would even put my judgment 
against his own. He trusted me, mother dear,” 
Sam tried to go on but there was a strange catch 
in his voice which prevented him. Then his 
mother looking at him and seeing a look on his face 
which went straight to her heart got up from the 
table, and going round to him, put her arm about 
his neck and her cheek to his, and said softly, 
“ Does this plan of yours mean so much to you, 
my boy? Then I can't stand in your way, for a 
moment. I know my boy, and I trust him always.” 
Sam's voice was somewhat out of gear as he 
answered, “ You are the best mother a boy ever 
had, and I want to help you as much as I want to 
help myself. I do not see how I can get along 
without you this summer, either, but I am deter¬ 
mined to make some money to help us both out. 
I am getting too old to have you pay my bills. 
I must do something to help out our situation; 
and the plan I have in mind will help us, I feel 
sure. We shall have to make our sacrifices, and 
in the end something tells me that we shall both 


18 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


be glad to make them. So, mother, if you say the 
word we’ll make our separate plans for the two 
months.” 

That same night, after supper, Si tackled his 
father. The discussion was not ended when they 
went to bed. It was, in fact, carried on at the 
breakfast table, the following morning, before 
Si’s father would give his consent, and with these 
final words: “ If you meant to go in any other boat 
but the ‘ Odin ’ or with any other fellow but Sam 
Virs, I should not agree to it;” words if Sam 
had heard them would have brought a flush of 
pride to his manly face. But he did not hear 
them. 


CHAPTER II 


HOW THE IDEA STRUCK TIM BRADY 

So the cruise of the “ Odin ” became an assured 
fact, and the noise of it could be heard all over the 
staid town of Weymouth on that same day. 

That afternoon as Sam and Si were pushing off 
in the tender a great shout was heard. Looking 
up they saw Tim Brady running like mad towards 
the river. As Sam and Si saw Tim racing for them 
each looked the other in the eye, and the one word 
each said to the other was “ Tim! ” 

Now Tim Brady was a fellow after their own 
heart. He was clean, gritty, courageous, fond of 
the Weymouth and the sea, and especially gone 
on the “ Odin.” But they had never once thought 
of Tim as joining in with such an enterprise as 
they now had in mind. They took Tim off for a 
day, sometimes for two days, when they could get 
him, but never for a longer time. And they had 
never heard Tim express a desire to go to college. 


20 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


He was needed too much at home, and must soon 
get into business. So the thought of Tim had 
clean gone from them. 

Tim was the oldest of a tribe of six children, and 
really, was the man of the house. His mother had 
come from good Irish stock, and his father too, for 
that matter, but drink had been the father’s 
undoing. 

The drink habit of the father had blighted 
not only the days and nights of poor Mrs. Brady, 
but the hours and days of Tim, as well. 

Tim was destined for happiness, but he had been 
robbed of his share of it up to the present. Every¬ 
body loved Tim, because his nature was thoroughly 
lovable. There was not a mean or yellow streak 
in him anywhere. There was a keenness, a cheer¬ 
fulness, a sturdiness of character about this red- 
haired, freckled-face lad with his Irish wit which 
drew every one to him. He was generous to a 
fault, and the grandest little fighter for a point in 
all Weymouth, a fighter of the right sort. He 
would fight for his friends, or for his views, or 
for a point in baseball, to the last ditch, but it was 
always a fight in the open, and for what he be¬ 
lieved was right. He would fight just as long and 


How the Idea Struck Tim Brady 21 


as earnestly as he thought the point belonged to 
him, or to his side. 

But show him his error, and in an instant he was 
all surrender and all generosity. You couldn’t 
give Tim Brady anything that he was not entitled 
to! This w^as his spirit and his mettle, and Sam 
and Si liked Tim as everybody else did, and 
more so. 

As soon as Tim Brady reached the tender, which 
the two boys had pushed back again to the shore, 
this is what they heard him say, “ I hear that you 
two sculpins are getting ready for a cruise on the 
‘ Odin ’ for two months, but I want to say to you, 
that you can’t go along without this shark. You 
would both get lost in the briny deep, and you 
need a fish of my sort to show you the way. In 
a squall, you wouldn’t get your mud-hook over¬ 
board in time without this good right arm, and in 
a fog you wouldn’t have breath enough to toot 
on a horn without these good lungs,” and here Tim 
gave his swelled chest a mighty slap. “ But truly 
fellows, joking aside, won’t you take me with 
you? I’ll go as the crew, I’ll sleep anywhere, 
I’ll eat anything; I’ll obey all orders from the 
helmsman, and I’ll see the old ‘ Odin ’ through 


22 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


anything the two of you will. Say, Sam can’t I go 
with you? ” — and Tim looked at Sam, and as if 
his two brown eyes would bore their way through 
him. 

“ Why, Tim,” said Sam, “ we never thought 
that you would be on to our game for the summer. 
This cruise of ours is not intended as a pastime. 
You see we want to make some money, Si and I 
have got our noddles fixed on going to Harvard. 
But, we have no sure plans: We are going around 
the coast in the different harbors to pick up, if 
we can, sailing parties for the hour or day at so 
much a head; but other things may suggest them¬ 
selves as we get along, the important thing being 
that after our two months’ outing we have got to 
show some spondoolicks for our skill and cunning.” 

“ That’s great! ” shouted Tim, “ and I’ll help 
to make your pile, unless,” he proudly broke out, 
“ you both think I’ll be in the way.” At this from 
Tim, Sam and Si looked at each other with a 
lightning flash, and almost fell over each other to 
disarm Tim’s suspicions, with these words, “ Tim, 
it is all settled, old man, you are going with us, and 
it’s share and share alike.” At that, Tim turned 
his back on them, and commenced to dig in the 


How the Idea Struck Tim Brady 23 


sand with the heel of his right sneaker as if sud¬ 
denly to find a treasure. “ Get in Tim, old man,” 
remarked Sam, “ let’s have a run out to the ‘ Odin 9 
to see if she is all right, and to think out our plans 
for Monday.” Thereupon Tim gave a whoop, 
and nearly overturned the boat as he grasped the 
gunwale and sprang into her. 

Monday, the thirtieth of June, came at last, 
and with it the promise of a perfect day. The 
boys had risen with the sun and with that enthu¬ 
siasm which belongs to health and the spirit of 
adventure and high expectation, greeted each 
other with tossed hats and shouts. The early 
morning was deliciously cool, and the six-knot an 
hour breeze from the east, had in it the tang of the 
sea, while perfumed with the odors of blossoming 
wild-grapes and wild-roses from the land. On 
this enchanting morning the three friends felt that 
great things were lying just ahead of them and 
they could hardly contain themselves for the joy 
of it. During the night there had been a heavy 
dew, and, now, as the sunshine fell on the grass, 
bushes and vines, ten million of gleaming little 
eyes were greeting them with their “ Good¬ 
morning,” and “ Good-luck.” It was, indeed, an 


24 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


hour of inspiration and all three felt it. Si stood 
there, struck with the beauty of the scene, and as 
his eyes searched the sky, and the shrubbery, and 
the curves of the river, he was obliged to say, 
“ Say, fellows, did you ever see such a morning? 
Let’s take it as a promise that we are going to 
have the time of our lives! ” 

On the Friday and Saturday of the week before, 
their mothers had entered into their plans with 
eagerness, having at last caught their fervor. 
Bread, doughnuts, cakes and pies had been baked, 
enough to last a ship’s company for a month. 
Mrs. Brady, strange to say, was the most enthu¬ 
siastic mother of them all, for Tim was the apple 
of her eye, and she had to make her sacrifice to 
let him go; but she entered into their plans with 
zeal, and the three boys loved her the more for it. 
She had baked six brown toothsome lemon pies — 
pies, which even to look at would go straight to 
your heart. Tim had complained a little at her 
prodigality, because he knew her generosity meant 
a sacrifice for her, but her reply was: “ Would you 
have your old mother send you off empty handed? 
Ah, Tim, you’ve been a good boy to me! ” At 
which foolishness he gave her a tender bear’s hug. 


How the Idea Struck Tim Brady 25 


“ Ye’ll not be letting anything happen to ye, 
Tim? ” “ What could happen to me, with Sam 

and Si, and the ‘ Odin ’? ” he brazened it out, with 
ever increasing pride. “ There’s nothing can beat 
that combination anywhere, and you know it. 
But I’ll be careful, just the same, and I’ll come 
back to you, as tough as a pirate,” he added, with 
a smile. 

“ Yes! I believe ye’ll come back, or I wouldn’t 
be letting ye go. Your company’s all right and 
your boat’s all right, but ye’ll be careful, for your 
mother’s sake? ” She persisted. “ Sure I will, 
and you know it,” and with that he gave a playful 
slap of the shoulder. “ Then, get along with ye! ” 
she said. 

It was seven o’clock by this time and a number 
of trips had already been made to the yacht. 
The storing aboard of extra rope, lines, clothing, 
bedding and food, had gone on rapidly. The three 
chums were eager to get up anchor by eight o’clock, 
but the ice was not yet in the ice-box, and they 
would not think of sailing without that. Bill 
Johnson had solemnly sworn that by eight o’clock, 
at the latest, he would be at the landing with two- 
hundred pounds for them. 


26 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


“ If Bill doesn’t show up, on time,” remarked 
Tim, “ I’ll murder him in his sleep, and he will 
think that one of his dreams has at last come true.” 
Just at that moment a whoop was heard and there 
was Bill Johnson heaving in sight. 

“ He certainly has saved himself from a horrible 
fright,” continued Tim, as he began whistling 
“ Tipperary.” 

It had been agreed the night before that the 
three chums should breakfast with Mrs. Virs. 
Sam lived near the river and it would be more 
convenient to make an early start from there. 
But everybody was too much excited really to eat, 
though everybody tried to pose as being hungry 
and calm. Poor Mrs. Virs found a good many 
excuses for getting secretly into her kitchen, 
which made Sam glad enough to give the order 
“ all aboard.” 

By the time the ice and drinking water were 
taken aboard and stored, the order was given to 
“ cast off.” 

With a splash the buoy fell into the water. 
The steady east wind had increased its push and 
it was now just to the “ Odin’s ” liking. Sam held 
the tiller, Si the sheet-rope, while Tim stood at the 


How the Idea Struck Tim Brady 27 


bow looking landward with a lingering look. The 
sail was now trimmed as flat as a card, and the 
fastest of cape-cats began her beat out of the 
river into Quincy Bay. Coming to the bay the 
steersman turned her bow north-west, Si eased 
the sheet-rope. With the wind on her quarter, 
the “ Odin’s ” bow and side were soon smothered 
in foam. The “ Odin ” was lifting her body and 
sporting in the choppy sea like a fish alive. The 
great adventure was really on, and joy was written 
on three faces. 

The boys were heading her for Rainsford 
Island and for the Quarantine Rocks which lay a 
little east of the island. On these rocks lived 
“ Portuguese Joe,” a local character, descendant of 
some Portuguese squatter of Long Island. Many 
a time Sam had heard his father tell the story of 
these Portuguese squatters who, like limpets of the 
sea, had clung to Long Island and had managed 
to pick up a living from drift-wood, and kelp, 
from lobstering and clamming with their dories. 

But, some twenty years before this adventure 
which they were just starting on, an edict went 
forth from the Boston City Fathers that Long 
Island was to be cleared of its Portuguese settlers. 


28 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


So the old shacks were levelled and the limpets 
themselves were cast into the sea — at least they 
took themselves into the sea in dories from Long 
Island. 

Today, great brick buildings line the eastern 
and northern portions of the island. Of all those 
squatters “ Portuguese Joe ” alone is left. He 
still clings near his old home like a sea-mussel. 
He has built for himself a tiny house on stilts and 
lives as a sort of fisherman recluse. But at forty- 
two he is not so lost to civilization but that he 
made friends among the many yachtsmen who 
sailed around Boston Harbor. Many of these 
made it a pleasure to call upon Joe to hear his 
quaint talk and to take with them some of his 
freshly boiled lobsters. Our friends of the “ Odin ” 
were bent on seeing him and taking on board a 
few, themselves. The boys knew him intimately 
and always received a warm welcome when they 
called. 

They reached Quarantine Rocks by nine o’clock, 
the “ Odin ” was run into the wind, and when she 
had lost her steering way, the light anchor was 
thrown over-board. Then the peak was dropped, 
and as the yacht began pulling at her chain the 


How the Idea Struck Tim Brady 29 


sail shook merrily in the brisk east breeze. “ Tim, 
will you stay with the ‘ Odin/ while Si and I drop 
in on Joe, or will you and Si go and leave me with 
the boat? ” “ You and Si go, Sam, I have a 
little stunt of my own to pull off ” said Tim. 
Now the stunt was nothing more than a plunge 
into the deep. Tim was a very porpoise in the 
water. He would rather have a swim than a 
meal. He was a great diver, would go head fore¬ 
most from any height and come up, after a time, 
puffing and flopping in the most game-some way. 
Sometimes he would remain so long under the 
water as to give those who were watching a fright. 
This morning, because of their many duties and 
their early start, Tim had not had his usual morn¬ 
ing plunge. Here was his opportunity. So the 
very minute his two chums were on their way to 
Joe’s, Tim was at work pulling his clothes off and 
throwing them on the floor of the “ Odin’s ” 
standing-room. Before Sam and Si reached Joe’s 
shanty they heard a shout and, looking round, 
there was Tim on the side of the “ Odin ” his body 
tense and poised for his famous dive. Just for an 
instant they saw his lithe body cutting the sun¬ 
shine, and then he had disappeared from sight. 


30 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


Waiting for the next move in the game, about one 
hundred yards off, they saw a red head push itself 
above the sea, every bit like a seal’s, and the 
sound of snorting like one. Then a brown and 
white wet arm shot up and there came a mighty 
whoop. The arm and head and the whoop be¬ 
longed to Tim. “ Tim’s a corker ” remarked Si to 
Sam. While Sam and Si were scrambling on to 
Joe’s rocks, Tim was swimming for the yacht 
which he soon reached, cool, puffing and happy. 

Tying up to a post sticking out of a mound of 
rocks, Sam and Si clambered ashore and began 
holloing for Joe. But no Joe answered back. 
“ Where can the old buck be hiding himself, do you 
suppose? ” inquired Si. “ Oh, he’s probably 
reading Monte Cristo and has shut the outside 
world from him,” casually put in Sam. 

Pushing open the door of the shack there was 
Joe but he was not reading Monte Cristo. He was 
moaning and hugging his leg. “ Why what’s the 
matter with you, Joe? ” inquired both boys, almost 
at the same time. “ I sleepped down on da rocks, 
deessa mornin’ an’ I hurt a ma fut.” “ The 
dickens you say! ” commented Sam. “ Tell us all 
about it! ” “ It was dees a way, I gotta up at 


How the Idea Struck Tim Brady 31 


half-past tree, just as da sun was a slippin’ out of 
hees cave. I wenta to ma lobster pots, weed da 
waves a slap, slap, an* ma God! such a sight as a 
never see afore, every pot was a cram full wi da 
lobster! I go almos’ crazy wid da sight! I pull 
in da lobsters like I mad! I counta hundred an’ 
twenty-six lobster! Den I slippa in da oars. I 
pulla for da rocks. I thinka I take ma catch to 
Boston Market. I climba on da rocks. I slippa 
ma fut in da hole. I pull heem out again. Ma 
God! I crawl on ma knee. I tak’ heem to da 
house. I look at heem, and he all red and swelled. 
I hold on to ma leg, an’ I swear! ” “ Let’s have a 

look at it Joe. Have you done nothing for it? ” 
Thereupon Joe, grumblingly, stuck out his foot, 
and pulled it back when Sam touched it. The 
ankle had swelled to twice its natural size. 

“ Have you any hot water, or anything to heat 
some in? ” was the next question asked. “ We are 
going to give you some first-aid treatment, Joe. 
This is where our Boy Scout training comes in.” 

“ Alla right I’ll do what you tell me,” panted Joe. 
Si found an old crazy kettle and began starting a 
fire in an old stove. But the kettle held the water, 
and the stove took kindly to the dry sticks. As 


32 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


soon as the water became hot, Sam began slapping 
hot cloths on the ankle. At first Joe rebelled and 
hollered, but soon he calmed down as the heat 
began its soothing work. Si looked at Sam with 
a grin. After the hot cloths had been sufficiently 
applied, cold ones took their places. 

Then this conversation began. u Joe, what are 
you going to do with your 126 lobsters? ” 

“ Geeba dem to da devil! ” 

“ Well, I’ll take them! ” answered up Sam 
promptly. 

Joe at that looked indeed his surprise, but he 
had the grace to answer glibly, “ Well, a geeb dem 
to you.” “ All right,” replied Sam, “ but, I’ll tell 
you what I am going to do with you. Si and I 
will take them to market, and give you half of 
what we get. We’d give you the whole, Joe, but 
we have cut ourselves adrift from home for two 
months just to be on the make, and here is our 
chance to help you out, and at the same time our¬ 
selves.” Sam then told Portuguese Joe something 
of their summer’s scheme; and this rough, igno¬ 
rant, old sinner had the grace to say: “By Gosh! 
a geeb you da lobster, an’ a tak’ not a cent! ” 
Whereupon Si remarked, “ If we don’t divide with 


How the Idea Struck Tim Brady 33 


you Joe, we’ll let your blessed lobsters rot in your 
boat; but we can’t bring you the money, perhaps, 
until we come back this way, later in the year.” 

“ How, does your old ankle feel now? ” queried 
the surgeon Sam. “ It a feel a alia right,” replied 
the now enthusiastic Joe. “ None of your bluffing 
Joe, I want to know how it feels? Let us see you 
stand on your foot.” Then the bluff would not 
work, and Joe was told to get on his box again, 
and Sam began a gentle massage up and down the 
leg, under and over the foot, and by degrees 
tackled the ankle. Though Joe writhed and 
squirmed he endured his punishment like a martyr, 
after which an old shirt was found and a tight 
bandage placed about the ankle. As the boys left 
the shack this was Joe’s final instruction: “Don’t 
step on that foot any more than you can possibly 
help for a day or two, and if it does not get better 
soon, hail a passing boat and get word to Rains- 
ford Island to have one of the Medical Inspectors 
drop in.” 

The fresh catch of 126 lobsters was transferred 
from the dory to the tender and Si pulled eagerly 
for the “ Odin.” But before they could reach 
her side Tim’s voice reached them with just an 


34 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


edge of querulousness in it: “ Where ever have 
you two dagoes been? I thought you had a 
quarrel and perhaps Joe had knifed you.’’ But 
when he heard the story Tim’s implied criticism 
turned to enthusiasm and approval; and when he 
remarked upon the catch of 126 lobsters it was in 
this fashion, “ Say, you two lobsters are all right 
yourselves.” 


CHAPTER III 

FISH STILL SWIM IN THE SEA 

It was nearly twelve o'clock by now, almost 
three hours had gone since they had dropped 
anchor off “ Quarantine Rocks." But it was not 
the loss of those three hours that troubled them, it 
was rather that the brisk east wind of the early 
morning had all died out. There was only a 
breath now stirring — hardly enough to keep the 
“ Odin " from drifting. How then were they to 
reach the fish stores on Atlantic Avenue before 
they closed at night? But they decided to get up 
their “ mud-hook," just the same, and take their 
chances with the drift. The weather had now 
become hazy and humid and there were prospects 
of heat in the air. 

The “ Odin " was only twenty-seven feet over 
all, twenty-five feet on the water line. But she 
was remarkably wide and deep for her size. She 
was big and roomy everywhere. Her bow was so 


36 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


high, that in a sea way, instead of her deck being 
covered with spray and spume, it would be as dry 
as a house floor. She had the trick of pushing the 
waves and spray from her. And this high bow 
served a more particular purpose at this moment. 
It enabled Tim to stand in the little forecastle and 
start the coffee for dinner, on the “ blue flame ” 
burner. Few twenty-seven footers had such head- 
room. If there had been a breeze the boys would 
probably have sat down at the center-board table, 
in the cabin. But as the conditions now were it 
was easier and pleasanter to remain in the “Odin’s” 
standing-room. Then came their favorite hot 
day treat. 

Before Sam and Si had returned from Joe’s, 
Tim had dropped overboard two bottles of 
“ Clicquot ” Ginger Ale. Just as you pull a live 
fish a-board Tim now pulled in the ginger ale; 
and in true boy fashion they fell upon it and 
pledged each other in its sparkle. 

“ That goes home! ” said Si. 

“ And here’s to the folks at home,” added Sam, 
as they all lifted their glasses. When they came 
to Mrs. Brady’s lemon pie both Si and ,Sam had 
to let their enthusiasm loose. Such pie was more 


Fish Still Swim in the Sea 


37 


than human nature could stand. When the three 
had eaten up one pie there was a clamorous call 
for a second, from Sam and Si, much to the joy of 
Tim. 

“ They were the finest that hands ever made ” 
was their tribute to Mrs. Brady’s skill. 

One o’clock! Two o’clock! and still no wind! 
By two o’clock, however the strong out-going tide 
had set them well over towards “ Long Island,” 
and under the lea of its southern headland. Dur¬ 
ing this bore of drifting, the boys had had plenty 
of opportunity to watch the large schools of 
mackerel in the harbor, as in the smooth water 
they swam with their noses just out of the sea. 

The “ Odin ” being now well in shore, Si put the 
question to Sam and Tim, “ Why not anchor the 
‘ Odin ’ and have a try at the mackerel from 
the tender? ” The question was no sooner asked 
than answered by Tim’s running up to the bows 
and getting the big anchor ready to be thrown 
over-board, and by Sam’s trimming in the sail 
preparatory to its being lowered. 

The lobsters had already been transferred to the 
cool hold so they had nothing to do but to get the 
lines and mackerel gigs ready, and to see if the fish 


38 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


were as eager for the fray as they were. While 
drifting over to Raflnsford, the boys had noticed 
how frightened the fish were. Let the yacht come 
within forty feet of a school, and immediately, 
there would be a swish and a dip. So it was now 
as the tender lay at anchor: not a fish would come 
near enough to their boat to catch the flash of the 
lead on their hooks as they were pulled through 
the water. For a full half-hour the fishermen 
did their best to lure the fish to their bait, but in 
that time not one mackerel had rushed for their 
gigs. “ Nothing doing! I’m nearly in ” re¬ 
marked Tim. The other two said nothing but, 
by the bored look on their faces, it was easy to 
observe that they were in sympathy with Tim’s 
remark. 

The sultry air of the last two hours had brought 
big, black-headed clouds scudding across the sky. 
In the northwest, even now, there was one monster 
cloud out of which, from time to time, the lightning 
leaped. For the last fifteen minutes the sound of 
thunder had been heard, but little heed had been 
given to it. Now, the cloud of somberness had 
reached the sun, and the black edge had turned to 
blazing gold: Then the sun’s face was hidden, and 


Fish Still Swim in the Sea 


39 


the creeping darkness, with giant arms, folded the 
bay. 

“ Perhaps we had better get back to the ‘ Odin/ 
if there’s to be a blow ” said Sam, as his nautical 
eye took in the new signs of the weather. “ That 
cloud seems to be working from the northwest ” 
observed Si, “and the ‘Odin’ will be pretty secure 
under that southern headland, — still, Sam, if 
you say the word, for the ‘ Odin ’ it is.” But at 
the very instant Si finished his sentence he felt a 
mighty tug at his line and the rush of a fish. 
Tingling all over, he pulled for all he was worth. 
Hand over hand came in his line with something 
rushing and trying to jump out of the water at the 
end of it. The last rush took it quite under the 
boat, and Si almost lost it as it struck the gunwale 
in coming in. But there was a splendid number 2 
mackerel trembling and jumping at his feet. 
Then the game was on in earnest and three excited 
boys forgot wind, lightning, and storm and all 
dangers of the deep, and commenced afresh to 
throw their leaded shanked hooks into the sea. 
At every cast each got a number 2 mackerel. 
Just at this moment a fresh breeze from the north¬ 
west ruffled the surface of the bay, and, then, 


40 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


almost immediately the storm broke on them. 
First came a great roaring puff, which seemed, 
when it struck them, as if it meant to lift their boat 
right out of the water. But, Tim in the bow, had 
bethought himself to give the tender all the cable 
they had, and fortunately the anchor held. After 
that first frightful puff the wind settled down to 
only a moderate blow. But the deluge of rain! 
In a minute the boys were drenched to the skin; 
but never were boys more happy, for the mackerel 
were jumping out of the water and rushing for 
their hooks. The sea seemed alive with fish, and 
so massed were they that many and many a time a 
mackerel would be caught through the gills or 
belly — and once, one was brought in the boat 
hooked in its tail. It was a throw out and a pull 
in, as fast as ever hands and arms and body could 
work, and at each throw the certainty of a new 
rush of mackerel. But, in the excitement of fish¬ 
ing, the boys had forgotten a growing peril. The 
wind had made some white-caps in the bay, and 
even in the shallower water where they lay an¬ 
chored there was a bit of a sea on; and the down¬ 
pour had filled their boat a third full of water. It 
had been great sport to flip the mackerel off their 


Fish Still Swim in the Sea 


41 


hooks with a quick jerk of hand and arm, and see 
them rush and surge in the water, now ankle-deep 
in their boat, but the danger was upon them and 
Sam realized it none too soon. The sea was 
tossing their tiny boat dangerously, and to help 
the rain, the little waves were slapping on the side 
of the boat and breaking over and in. Letting his 
hook remain where he had last thrown it, Sam 
gave his line a half-hitch over one of the oarlocks, 
and fell, as rapidly as possible, to bailing. But 
with all his knowledge of the danger he could not 
keep the whole of his attention on his task. With 
Tim and Si slapping these nervous, frisking 
mackerel into the boat, his heart was beating 
rapidly and his desire was strong to get again to 
his own hook; so he must keep half an eye on what 
they were doing. No doubt it was this divided 
attention that saved them! For Tim, up there in 
the bow, where the footing was not so secure as 
at mid-ship and stern, must needs in the excite¬ 
ment and tossing throw his body forward too far. 
Instead of keeping his seat Tim had for the 
moment stood up to make his throw, and this 
standing up in a small boat, Tim knew — just as 
well as anyone else—was prohibited by all careful 



42 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


yachtsmen; but he stood up, made his throw, and 
the next instant he had lost his footing, had pitched 
forward on to the gunwale of the little boat. In 
a second there would have been an overturned 
tender, their catch gone, and three struggling lads 
taking their chances in a tumbling sea; and just 
where the “ Odin ” lay no one could tell for in 
that wind and rain one could not see ten feet in 
any direction. But Sam’s quick eye had seen 
Tim get up, h^d seen him pitch forward, and 
his active brain had never worked more quickly. 
With a movement which had in it the very power 
of desperation, Sam threw his body and weight on 
the other side of the boat, and with his face almost 
touching the waters of the bay, waited, in what 
afterwards he knew was agony, the outcome of his 
act. But the boat was still right side up; Si had 
Tim with a grip on the middle of his back, and, 
skillfully, Sam and Tim squirmed safely back into 
the boat. 

What Tim said was this: — 

“ That was a close call we had, and what a 
lubber I was. As I pitched forward the thought 
which flashed through my mind was, ‘ shall I ever 
see good, old Weymouth town, again?’ Sam, 


Fish Still Swim in the Sea 


43 


I’ll have to score up another one for you,” and Tim 
looked at Sam with eyes which shone with admira¬ 
tion and affection. The bailing now went on in 
earnest while the rain began to slacken, and, as the 
great cloud parted, to cease. In the now clear 
light they saw the rain washed “ Odin ” trim and 
gleaming, jauntily riding at anchor not more than 
two hundred feet away. 

Again they threw their “ gigs,” and pulled them 
through the water, but not a fish chased them. 
With the breaking up of the storm the mackerel 
had lost all interest in the sport, and as suddenly 
as they had come, as suddenly they had gone. 
There was nothing better to do then than to make 
for the “ Odin.” When the boys reached her they 
made their count: one hundred and seventy- 
seven, as fine mackerel as ever were seen in Boston 
Bay lying there gasping and flopping, and awaiting 
a mackerel’s usual fate! 

“ With our lobsters and mackerel aboard there’s 
just one thing we have got to do, and we’ve got to 
do it quick, get to the fish wharves just as fast as 
the 1 Odin ’ will take us,” said Si. 

“ You are right, my boy,” agreed Sam. “ Make 
sail and get up anchor! ” 


44 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


The wind had now settled down to a strong, 
steady northwest blow, not too much of a wind to 
keep the “ Odin ” out of it, but strong enough to 
keep her rail near the water. So it was decided 
to put a single reef in the sail and work around 
“ Long Island ” from the east. They started with 
the wind off their quarter, going along at a speed 
of not less than ten to twelve miles an hour. As 
they came about the wind seemed to freshen even, 
and Sam thought that it must be blowing at 
twenty miles an hour clean and steady and true, 
right from the northwest — and there is no truer 
wind than that in the world. Going at this pace 
they ought to make Fish Wharf by 4.30 — though, 
if they had to beat in getting up the inner harbor, 
it might be 5 o’clock. 

As they were rounding Long Island they saw 
the steamer from Nantasket working through 
“ Hull-Gut,” and standing over towards Long 
Island. At the same time they saw a splendid 
schooner yacht lying over on her side, and rushing 
on through the “ Narrows ” inside of Boston 
Light. Every sail was set and drawing as only 
sail can draw in a steady twenty-knot breeze. 
From the standing room of the “ Odin ” the 


Fish Still Swim in the Sea 


45 


boys could look back and see the great yacht’s 
bow smothered in foam, and the yacht herself 
rushing on towards the golden shining dome of the 
State House, like a monster bird of incredible 
power. On she rushed for Long Island Head, and 
as the distance was about the same from the Island 
for both steamer and yacht, it was seen that they 
must meet just off the headland. 

The “ Odin ” was ready herself to turn at this 
point, but Sam, to keep an eye on the race, held 
her pretty well over towards Deer Island. By 
doing this he knew that he could keep to the wind¬ 
ward of both yacht and steamer and see, at the 
same time, all that was going on. 

From the position of the “ Odin ” it was impos¬ 
sible to determine, with certainty, which racer 
would round the Island first, but soon it was seen 
it must be the steamer, for she was fully one hun¬ 
dred feet ahead. As the steamer rounded Long 
Island, and her paddle-box came in view, the large 
letters, “ Standish ” were read. Now, the “ Stand- 
ish ” had the reputation of doing fifteen miles an 
hour, but in the choppy sea which the brisk north¬ 
west wind had made, she may not have been able 
to do better than thirteen or fourteen. Still, it 


46 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


was a fact that few yachts have done better than 
thirteen and a half miles an hour, and generally, 
these have been powerful single-stickers. Yet, 
surely that grand schooner with four jibs, mainsail 
and foresail and topsails set, was gradually over¬ 
hauling the “ Standish ” ! Never was a sight just 
like that seen before in Boston Harbor! 

The “ Odin ” was doing her prettiest to keep in 
the running, but what could a twenty-seven foot 
cat-boat, grand as she was as compared with any 
other boat of her size — do with a hundred and 
twenty-five foot schooner yacht, evidently one of 
the fastest afloat, and a fifteen mile an hour excur¬ 
sion steamer? Still, even the “ Odin ” was able 
to show of what she was made. Well to the wind¬ 
ward of both yacht and steamer it took some 
time before they passed her, and during this time 
the boys were able to take in every leg of the race. 
It had been an interesting discussion on the cat- 
boat to determine the name of the yacht. One 
guessed that it was the “ Embassadress an¬ 
other the “ America/’ another the one-time 
famous sloop “ Puritan,” now turned into a 
schooner. So trivial bets were made as the excite¬ 
ment ran high. Tim, in one of his bursts of 


Fish Still Swim in the Sea 


47 


enthusiasm said, “ I’ll bet that the schooner, 
whatever her old name is, will beat the steamer, 
and if she does, let’s take it as a sign of good-luck 
that the ‘ Odin ’ is going to win for us in our 
jolly cruise.” 

“ Oh! the 1 Odin ’ will win out all right,” 
affirmed the optimistic Si. On came the schooner, 
and inch by inch, foot by foot, she was certainly 
coming up to the steamer! By this time the 
passengers on the “ Standish ” were feeling the 
thrill of the race, and were waving hats and 
handkerchiefs, and cheering. Was there ever a 
more inspiring picture! That two hundred ton 
yacht, her masts lying aslant and supporting her 
eight beautiful white wings, her clean scrubbed 
deck gleaming in the sunshine, and her one brass 
cannon, forward, throwing back to the sun ten 
thousand answering rays under the American Flag 
flying at her stern — was rushing through the 
water at an incredible speed, churning the sea 
water into greenish-white suds, and showing, to 
excited eyes, an underbody of lovely curves and 
glistening bronze — the acme of perfect yacht 
moulding. No wonder people cheered, and that 
Sam, Si, and Tim fairly yelled! Not even the 


48 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


dullest or dreariest of folk could have looked upon 
such a sight without being moved to enthusiasm. 
But not even yet could our friends on the “ Odin ” 
make out the great yacht’s name. At last Sam 
with the marine glasses read it on the ribboned 
caps of the sailors, and the magic name he read 
was “ Constitution.” “ The ‘ Constitution! ’ ” he 
shouted, “ why she’s the yacht that won the 
‘ Iselin Cup,’ for any yacht of any size, from 
New York to Bermuda, and return. I’d rather 
have seen her, on such a day and in such a breeze 
as this than to have defeated the Spanish Armada. 
We shall never see anything like this again! 
Its great! great! The ‘ Constitution ’ in a long 
sea-race can beat any yacht, big or little, in the 
world, and to think of it, fellows,” and actually 
Sam’s voice broke, “ The ‘ Odin’s ’ had a run along 
with her! ” 

Whereupon Tim and Si must toss up their hats 
and with wild hurrahs act as if they had lost their 
wits. By this time, of course, the “ Odin ” was 
well astern of the two racers, but not too far astern 
but that the boys could see the great race to a 
finish. The yacht and the steamer were now 
close to Fort Independence and Castle Island, 


Fish Still Swim in the Sea 


49 


and it looked, to these excited watchers, as if 
the yacht were well ahead, but how much 
ahead from their angle astern it could not be 
made out. 

“ I’ll bet a hat, the ‘ Constitution ’ will beat the 
‘ Stan dish ’ two hundred feet,” sang out Tim. 

“ Three hundred,” roared out Si. 

“ Four hundred,” bellowed Sam. 

Just at that moment the “ Constitution ” 
showed them that she had done even better than 
their best estimate, for, as she crossed the bows of 
the steamer, a great patch of bluish-green water 
lay between them. Then the yacht ran down her 
topsails and forward jibs, turned her bow a few 
points towards the south, and rushed for her 
South Boston anchorage while the defeated 
steamer held to the west and her dock. It had 
been a grand race, and the boys, full of pride and 
excitement, gave three cheers and a tiger for the 
“ Constitution.” 

But now they must give their whole attention 
to their own affairs, so they tried to pick up the 
on-going “ Standish,” for the fish wharves lay in 
her direction. “ We must sell our catch before 
night,” they had all agreed, “ or we will get left.” 


50 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


It was at just 4.35 o’clock they tackled “ Atwood 
& Atwood ” to take their lobsters. After some 
dickering on the price, at which Tim proved him¬ 
self an adept — the firm agreed to give 20 cts. 
a pound — live weight — for their hundred and 
twenty-six — the total weight being one hundred 
and eighty-six pounds. So a check for $37.20 
was made out in the name of “ Capt. Samuel Virs.” 
The boys made their exit for the “ Odin ” amidst 
mutual congratulations, and “ come again ”! 
Their next stride was for “ Fish Wharf,” and by 
5.15 o’clock they were beguiling “ Snow & Co.” 
Before the boys approached this firm, they had 
made some inquiries as to how many mackerel the 
fishing boats had been bringing in of late, and they 
found out to their satisfaction that while some fish 
were being caught, not enough were being brought 
in to supply the demands of the market. The price 
for mackerel was therefore, holding steadier than 
usual. They were also able to ascertain that 18 
cts. had been paid at wholesale for No. 2, and 25 
cts. for No. 1 mackerel. 

“ I am going to hold out for 18 cts. each for our 
catch ” remarked the brazen Tim, “ What do you 
say fellows? ” 


Fish Still Swim in the Sea 


51 


“ I vote that Tim transacts the business, in his 
own taking way,” replied Si. 

“ Hear, hear! ” followed up Sam, “ we’ll 
put the whole important transaction into your 
distinguished hands.” Tim blushed, but braz¬ 
ened it out, “ All right, you timid Sculpins, 
I’m the only one with pep enough to pull 
the lion’s tail.” So he pushed open the door 
of “ Snow & Co.,” and made straight for the 
inner office. 

“ I’ve got one hundred seventy-seven as fine 
mackerel as ever your firm saw, caught this after- 
rioon too, and they are only waiting your word to 
be dumped on your wharf.” 

“ Mackerel! Where did you get them? ” 

“ Off Long Island, this afternoon in the storm, 
and three of us did the trick.” And then Tim 
gave Mr. Snow the briefest and most vivid 
account of how to catch mackerel in a storm that 
that gentleman had ever heard. 

“ And you mean to tell me that three boys could 
make a catch like that in an hour, and then get 
your fish here to this wharf in two hours after you 
had got your sail up! Why! I never heard any¬ 
thing like it before. Yes! I’d like to have a look 


52 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


at your whole outfit: at you boys, at your fish, and 
especially, at your boat.” 

So Mr. Snow reached for his hat, and followed 
Tim to where the u Odin ” lay. 

When they reached her Tim called down to Sam 
and Si, “ Step up a moment won't you? Here is 
a gentleman on the wharf who would like to 
make your acquaintance.” Like two cats Sam 
and Si came up the “ Odin's ” mast, using the 
rings of the sail as steps. Mr. Snow looked the 
two lads over with an appraising eye which lost 
nothing of its lustre as he took in the fine points 
of the “ Odin,” and the mackerel which lay in 
her tender. 

“ Well! I'm not surprised at your story,” he 
said, as he turned to Tim. “ What will you take 
for your fish? ” 

“ Eighteen cents straight, Sir,” replied that 
brazen mouth-piece. Mr. Snow looked at him 
keenly, and remarked, “ That is the top-notch 
price for today's market. Now, how did you 
know it? ” 

“ Oh! ” said that imperturbable one, “ I have 
made some inquiries.” 

“ You have? Well if you for a youngster aren't 


Fish Still Swim in the Sea 


53 


pretty near the limit.” At these words Tim did 
have the grace to hide his head. 

“ Well, I’ll give you your price ” said Mr. Snow, 
as he gave him a thump on the back. “ Come 
into my office, you young profiteer. Get your 
money, and I’ll get my fish.” 

While the check was being made out, Mr. Snow 
sent out two of his men to bring the mackerel in. 
When Tim read the check it was made out to one 
“ Timothy Brady ”! 

As the “ Odin ” put off from the wharf, Mr. 
Snow stepped out from his office door, waved his 
hand and sang out, “ Good-luck to you! ” 

The three chums took off their hats in return and 
grinned their thanks while Tim voiced their feel¬ 
ings, with, “ He’s a dandy! ” 


CHAPTER IV 

A NIGHT AND A MORNING 

It was now six o’clock and after the strain and 
excitement of their first day, — what an age it was 
since dinner time they all thought, — the boys felt 
the pangs of hunger. But the important thing 
now was to get to some good anchorage for the 
night. 

“ What’s the matter with a run over to the new 
Fish Pier and drop in the basin there? ” inquired 
Sam. “ We can make it in fifteen minutes if this 
breeze holds.” 

“ Hear, hear! ” and “ Aye, aye, sir! ” were the 
agreeing replies. 

Now the new Fish Corporation is one of the 
sights of Boston. Its outfit stands in a con¬ 
spicuous place, and is so thoroughly adapted to the 
storing and handling of fish that it has become one 
of the world’s most efficient organizations. It 
has been designated, by those who know, as one 
of the perfect things of its kind. 


A Night and a Morning 


55 


The fish wharf proper covers many acres of 
made land; shows three sides to the harbor, and 
is capable of housing in its ample basins hundreds 
and hundreds of fishing craft. 

On the wharf itself are the offices and storehouses 
of many fish dealers, with all the modern contri¬ 
vances for handling, adequately, a constantly 
growing industry. The buildings are of brick and 
cement, of simple but pleasing design as everything 
has been made architecturally harmonious by a 
single mind. Thousands and thousands of men 
are employed in winning a living from the sea, 
while other thousands are needed to care for the 
toil of their hands, and to bring their catch to the 
hungry millions of the land. So we have on this 
new Fish Wharf a veritable colony of fishermen 
and of fishermen’s aids, all of whom must be 
equipped with the essentials of their trade, and 
with the comforts of life. For this equipment and 
comfort provision has been amply made. 

For the care of the fresh fish an immense ice¬ 
freezing plant has been erected. For the care of 
the men all kinds of stores are to be found: cloth¬ 
ing, provision, grocery, drug, hardware, and even 
barber shops are there. It was in one of the basins 


56 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


of this wonderful wharf that Sam purposed to 
anchor the “ Odin ” for the night. No better 
place for quiet and view could be selected, because 
on the South Boston side of the harbor one looks 
to the west and the setting sun, and is removed 
from the confusion of suddenly darting tugs, and 
ferries, and steamers, incident to the ocean front 
of a large city. 

With the coming on of the evening the brisk 
twenty-mile blow of the afternoon had frayed out 
to about an eight or a ten mile breeze, with every 
indication of blowing itself quite out. But with 
almost a free run before the wind they soon made 
“ Fish Wharf,” and as the “ Odin’s ” bow was 
brought gracefully up into the wind in the quiet 
waters of the basin, the order was given “ to drop 
anchor.” 

When the anchor had found its resting place in 
the muddy bottom of the bay, Tim dived into the 
“ Odin’s ” tiny “ forecastle ” and lighted the 
“ blue-flame ” stove, leaving Si and Sam to lower 
sail and to make ship-shape. Tim was the 
acknowledged cook of the expedition. As soon, 
however, as the sail was furled and in place Si 
went into the cabin to lay the table for supper, 


A Night and a Morning 


57 


leaving the washing and swabbing of the deck to 
Sam — for one of the rules of good yachting is, 
“ Never have a dirty deck! ” “ Swab first, eat 

afterwards ” is the unwritten code of the sea. 

Now Si’s laying of the table began in this fash¬ 
ion : On each side of the centre-board box hung, on 
hinges, a highly polished board of cypress wood. 
Each board measured in length, six feet, in width, 
two feet. When both boards were up, and flush 
with the top of the centre-board, there was a 
table in the “ Odin’s ” six feet in length and four 
and a half feet in width, the extra half foot coming 
from the top of the centre-board box. On that 
shiny cypress table, through whose polish the fine 
natural markings of the cypress showed, Si laid 
the yacht’s silver and china. If the silver were 
nothing more than ordinary plate and the china 
only a decent white crock, nevertheless that 
beautifully polished table gave to the plate and 
crock such a proud air as never was. They shone 
themselves as if to outdo the cypress! For the 
first night out napkins were permissible, and their 
snowy whiteness helped out the general shiny 
effect as well. 

When they left in the morning Mrs. Virs, to give 


58 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


the boys the remembrance of home, had picked a 
big bunch of soft-hued nasturtiums, which now 
graced the centre of the table. In Si was the soul 
of an artist, and his eye now measured with a 
nicety the relation of one thing with another — of 
color and form and proportion. And his eyes 
lighted with pleasure as he took in the altogether 
beautiful effect. “ If only our folks could look 
in! ” he said to himself. 

It was only after the “ Odin ” had been pulling 
on her anchor chain for some twenty minutes that 
the little ship’s bell, with its “ ding-dong, ding- 
dong ” sounded in the air. 

“ What! Supper so soon? ” inquired Sam, as he 
stuck his head in the cabin way. “ Tim, you are 
one of the seven wonders! ” 

“ Get a gait on! ” was Tim’s cheery reply. 

Then the supper was brought in, and what a 
supper!! — a steak that when you cut it held up 
under its own weight. It was fully an inch thick, 
and the red juice running into the platter! And 
French-fried potatoes done to a golden brown! A 
cake of golden Cloverdale Butter; golden gems 
made by Mrs. Epping in the morning, and now 
reheated; strawberries, plump and crimson which 


A Night and a Morning 


59 


one’s fancy could paint the dew on; one of 
Mrs. Brady’s frosted lemon pies, and a cup of 
delicious steaming coffee at each mariner’s plate! 
“ A supper good enough,” remarked Si, “ for any 
three land lubbers anywhere in the world! ” 
For the next fifteen minutes little of conversation 
was attempted, but after that time, while they were 
all getting in their work on the strawberries, Si 
began, in this fashion: “ Tim ” — a swallow and a 
pause — “ who taught you to cook? ” — silence 
again, owing to a full mouth — “ Say Tim ” — 
now a sound as if a bull-frog had flopped into the 
soft edge of a pond — “ this lemon pie beats the 
band! Your mother’s great! ” 

Sam was so thoroughly occupied that, an 
unusual thing for him, he did not have the grace to 
say “ Amen ” to this praise of Tim, and Tim’s 
mother. But at last his silence was broken with 
this query, “ How’s the coffee, Cook? I’m on for 
a second swig.” 

“ There’s plenty of it, Sam, but I caution you 
to slow up, old man, for you’ve already stowed in 
two cups — and we’ve got to get an early start in 
the morning.” 

“ You are right, Tim, old Bluff, I stand cor- 


60 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


rected. But we don’t get coffee like that every 
day. Acting on your suggestion, however, I’ll 
call this grand affair off. Say Tim, you’re a 
corker,” and immediately Sam gave Tim a dig in 
the ribs that sent an extra beat to his loyal heart. 

When the dishes were cleared away, and the 
cabin was swept and brushed, the boys took out 
their folding chairs and set them in the standing- 
room for a good-night chat. Whereupon the first 
thing Tim did was to pull out Mr. Snow’s check, 
made out to “ Timothy Brady ” for $31.86, and 
hand it to Sam. 

“ But I’m not the ship’s treasurer.” 

“ Yes you are, — or at least I’m going to vote 
you so. It’s your scheme from the start — the 
whole blooming business — and you know it. 
You’ve got to look after the wad. What do you 
say, Si? ” 

“ The same as you do, every time. The cash 
is safer in Sam’s hands than if it were in a safety 
vault. If either you or I had it, Tim, it would be 
sure to be squandered, and the whole blessed 
business go to smash. Yes! the only safe party 
to look after it is Sam.” “ Much obliged, you two 
hardened sinners, but the dough would be much 


A Night and a Morning 


61 


safer in the care of either one of you two watch¬ 
dogs/' commented Sam. 

“ Not on your life! '' came quickly from Tim; 
and so the matter ended. 

Their attention was now turned to planning for 
tomorrow. After a free and full discussion, and a 
weighing of the pros and cons, it was agreed that 
they should get up by six o'clock and, after a swim 
and breakfast, get off just as soon as they could. 
If the wind held they would go to Plymouth; if 
the day was unfavorable they would work into 
Hull, and see what could be done with sailing 
parties from there. 

The wind of the day had now dropped to five 
miles an hour, and the white-caps of the afternoon 
had become little darkish swells. The Portland 
and Kennebec steamers had already started on 
their evening trips, and the fast going ferry boats 
of the Lynn and Narrow Gauge were at their 
usual business of carrying jammed human freight 
to Winthrop and Crescent Beach and Lynn. The 
Nantasket boats were crowded, but the greatest 
rush had spent itself an hour before. 

It was the sunset hour, and as the three friends 
sat there on their canvas chairs, at peace with the 


62 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


world, and with themselves, it did seem to them 
all that they were tasting happiness. Surely the 
day had been a unique one! What a lot had hap¬ 
pened since the early hours of the morning! 
“ Why this morning/’ Sam exclaimed, “ Doesn’t 
it seem to you fellows as if we had been away from 
home a month? ” 

Nothing can compare with the wind for chas¬ 
ing in great white islands and mountains of 
cloud. All the afternoon these monster islands 
and mountains had been coming and going which, 
as one watched them, became to the imagination 
dogs, and sheep, and angels, and titans, and 
then, islands and mountains again. Even now 
some of them were scudding lazily in the sunset’s 
glow. These clouds seemed very intimate to our 
yachtsmen as they sat there on the deck of the 
“ Odin ” watching them sail, and change, and glow. 
Just at this moment there was one big cloud upon 
which their attentions were fixed which, Si said, 
“ looked like a mountain range made of fluffy 
white absorbent cotton which some giant from 
below had tossed up into the air.” And this 
fluffy cotton range was changing its mountains and 
peaks so quickly that some one remarked, “ It 


A Night and a Morning 


63 


certainly looks now like the giant himself.” For 
as they looked at it, there first grew a monster’s 
head, then a monster’s arms and legs, and then his 
entire body. “ Say,” observed Tim, “ that must 
be one of the Homeric gods we’ve been reading 
about all last winter; and what a jolly, fat old 
buck he is? ” 

Just as these garrulous words were spoken and, 
just to show what a fat old buck could do when he 
had a dying sun to help him out, he turned sud¬ 
denly to crimson and gold. First, his big face 
became like a field of red poppies, and the poppies 
ran all over his huge body. Then the red became 
a pale rose, and as suddenly became heliotrope, 
and even while they were watching became crim¬ 
son again. Then to the boys, wonder the crown of 
the god’s head turned to burnished gold, and the 
gold began to melt and drip all over his big face 
and to lose itself in the air and the sea, while the 
face of the pagan became all fleecy white. A 
minute afterwards it was no god at all. It was an 
elephant, and a bear, and a rhinoceros as each one 
thought it. And then each forgot about gods, and 
animals as the spectacle of flame and fire burst 
upon them. In the west great furnaces were 


64 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


pouring out their glare. Cloud streamers — 
perhaps a mile long — became streamers of fire 
and the fire passed from them to the city giving 
to every pane of glass, and especially to the dome 
of the State House, its own fire. 

“ Why the heavens and the earth are aflame,” 
said Si to the others in awed tones. Nothing 
stirred the worship in Si more than beauty. 
He had the artist’s soul, and must work with 
beauty. He was hoping to become an architect; 
and, again, he felt that he must be a painter. 
But he did not wish to paint unless he could paint 
in a great fashion. The mood of wanting to be a 
great painter was on him now. He wanted to 
paint this sunset, as the witchery of it held him. 
Allured by the vision of his future Sam had to ask 
him twice what he was thinking of before he came 
back to them and to himself. 

As the wonderful sunset faded away, there were 
other sights to hold their attention. There were 
the ferry-boats crossing from Boston to East 
Boston and Winthrop and Lynn, crowded with 
workers going home, and pleasure-seekers to get a 
breath of the sea, and to escape from the hot city. 
Little and big tugs would puff and snort as they 


A Night and a Morning 


65 


worked through the channels. “ Bug-light ” be¬ 
gan to gleam; Long Island Head began to twinkle; 
the Nantasket boats showed their electric glow, 
while the city behind them settled down to the on¬ 
coming darkness. 

“ It’s all too beautiful to leave,” remarked Si, 
trying at the same time to stifle a yawn; “ but 
we’ve had a stirring day, and there’s something 
doing for tomorrow.” 

“ Let’s turn in then, if that’s the way you feel,” 
remarked Sam. “ What do you say, Tim? ” 

“ The same as you, I guess, Captain. I’m 
voting for a ‘ turn-in.’ He already had his hand 
at his mouth to stop a yawn. 

The next morning, Tuesday, they rose at six, 
had their jump overboard, got up sail, and planned 
to leave their anchorage immediately after break¬ 
fast. It was only 7.15 o’clock when they left Fish 
Wharf, but there was scarcely a push to the wind. 
They faced almost a dead calm. Once in a while 
a slight puff from the east would shake the 
“ Odin’s ” sail, but a light breeze from the east 
would not be of much use, because it meant for 
them a straight beat of nearly ten miles before 
they could get to Boston Light. Still, the tide was 


66 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


going out and they could lazily float along and hope 
for better things after awhile. The morning, 
unfortunately, was not clear, and with the harbor 
tugs and steamers coming and going there was 
constant danger for them in keeping to the chan¬ 
nel. In the fear of a collision Sam would take no 
chances. So he kept well over to the Winthrpp 
side. He knew that there was danger of getting 
aground, in doing this, because the “ Odin ” drew 
five feet of water, independent of her deep center- 
board. Tim was placed at the bow, therefore, to 
keep a sharp lookout for shallow water. In this 
slow game of drift, and not getting the benefit of 
the stronger push of the channel, by nine o’clock 
they had made only a couple of miles and were 
only a little beyond “ Governor’s Island.” Sud¬ 
denly Tim’s warning shout was heard, “ Shallow 
water, Sam, put her bow round quick! ” 

But Sam had no steering way on the “ Odin,” 
and no boat in the world, great or small, will 
answer her helm without some headway, and so 
the “ Odin ” would not come round. She must 
drift wherever the tide might take her, and surely 
the tide was carrying her towards the flats. Soon 
there was a bump, a slight trembling of the “Odin,” 


A Night and a Morning 


67 


and a stop. The yacht was settled firmly on the 
mud flats! 

“ A pretty pickle! ” remarked the skipper, 
imperturbably. “ It looks like a good six hours 
here until the tide turns and floats us again. No 
Plymouth for two days, and perhaps no Hull! 
But we’ll make the best of it.” 

So the sail was lowered, the anchor thrown out, 
while they were astride the flats. 

But six hours do pass somehow, and by three 
o’clock in the afternoon the incoming tide had 
lifted the “ Odin,” and with the tide the chums 
were cheered by an eight-hour breeze. Soon the 
sail was hoisted and the “ Odin’s ” foam was 
showing the way to Hull. 

One thing the delay had done for them; it had 
given them the opportunity to dig two pails of 
clams; one pail-full for bait, and one for dinner. 
That steamed clam dinner lingered long in their 
memories! In after years it was mentioned as 
the clam-dinner. Tim’s receipt for steamed clams 
is this: “ Dig your clams out of the receding tide. 
Wash them in sea water until they shine like 
pearls. Before an hour is gone get them on the 
fire — just as they are without adding any water. 


68 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 




When the shells begin to open remove from the 
fire and serve with melted butter made in this 
fashion: plenty of butter heated in a pan to which 
is added salt and pepper, and, later, vinegar. 
Serve hot, and with clam juice and plenty of clams 
by one’s side, eat and eat up to your eyes.” Now 
there are few things in the way of eating can com¬ 
pare with that — so, at least, these three yachts¬ 
men thought. 


CHAPTER V 


HOW CERTAIN PLANS WERE UPSET 

By four o’clock they were well off Point Aller- 
ton, and were hesitating whether to run through 
Hull Gut, or to keep on for Plymouth, which was 
a good twenty-five miles away. Just as they were 
debating this point they saw a pilot boat come to 
her moorings at Allerton Head and, knowing by 
the black hull and the cut of her sail that she was 
the schooner “ Neptune,” Sam said, “ Why not 
lie to near the ‘ Neptune ’ for the night, have a chat 
with Captain Mellock, and make a fresh start for 
Plymouth in the morning? ” This the others 
agreed to do. The “ Odin’s ” head was turned 
in the direction of the “ Neptune,” and in twenty 
minutes the yacht was lying alongside the pilot- 
boat. Captain Mellock was an old friend of 
Sam’s father, and in old times Mr. Virs had fre¬ 
quently gone off with the captain for a week’s run 
on the “ Neptune.” Sometimes in the late fall 
when Captain Mellock was stationed for his week 


70 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


at Point Allerton, Mr. Virs would find a couple 
of days to be on board the pilot boat, and would 
shoot black duck along the coast. The captain 
was inconsolable in the loss of his friend, and 
Sam made it a point always to look for the “ Nep¬ 
tune’s ” flag flying off Allerton, once every two 
months; for there were nine pilot boats running 
out of Boston, and scattered somewhere along the 
ocean’s front waiting to show the foreign captains 
the tortuous way to a safe landing of their pas¬ 
sengers and cargoes. This interior station at 
Point Allerton was a sort of a vacation place for 
the captain and crew of each pilot boat from the 
more dangerous work of the coast and out at sea. 

As soon, therefore, as the “ Odin ” had been put 
in shape for the night, sail tightly furled, deck 
washed, the extra anchor in place in case of sud¬ 
den need, Sam and Si got in the tender to call on 
Captain Mellock, leaving Tim aboard to cogitate 
concerning the supper. 

On the “ Neptune ” Captain Mellock gave the 
two boys the heartiest of welcomes, and was 
greatly interested in their plans for the summer. 
“ Fine! Fine! ” burst from the captain. “ There 
is nothing like trying to paddle your own canoe 


How Certain Plans Were Upset 71 


or, rather, sail your own ship. You’ll get there 
all right, boys, if you ain’t afraid to work, and 
ain’t too timid to take a chance or two. The great 
thing, though, is to learn not to take the WRONG 
chance,” and this hearty, bluff old friend, gave 
each of them a searching look. Captain Mellock 
was a tall, broadly built man of about sixty years, 
who stood six feet one inch in his stocking feet. 
He weighed two hundred and thirty pounds, but 
one would not think it to glance at him. It was 
only when one felt his solid body, on which there 
was not a single ounce of spare fat, that one real¬ 
ized that he was no light weight. His hair was 
gray, and his beard, which matched it fell in curly 
riotousness over his broad chest. As he sat there 
in the cabin of the “ Neptune,” he suggested to 
Si’s imagination some wise old triton of the deep. 
He had a deep voice, rich in overtones, and this 
voice had always thrilled Sam. In it was the 
boom of the sea, and something of its tang. It 
was a tonic to hear it. 

The captain had been a real friend of Sam’s 
father, and one of the delights which his father 
had looked forward to was listening to that voice 
of the sea, when he had become tired with business 


72 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


and the drive of the city. No one knew better 
than Captain Mellock how to handle a ship, and 
Mr. Virs had got many a point in sailing from this 
good friend, and these fine points the father had 
passed on to Sam. “ Now you two boys are going 
to paddle your canoes for two months, be your own 
bosses for that length of time/’ Sam and Si heard 
the deep, booming voice say — “ and, there’s a 
little tale I’d like to tell yer. It was on the 
twenty-third of October — five years ago — when 
the ‘ Lucy T ’ sailed out of Gloucester harbor. 
The ‘ Lucy T ’ was one of the crack fishin’ boats 
which went to the banks, and Captain Dunkirk 
was an able skipper. The captain came from 
Provincetown, and when he was sober, there 
warn’t a better man at the wheel nor a man who 
could better keep his bow-sprit pointing straight 
into the eye of the wind. On the twenty-third I 
happened to be off Cape Ann on the lookout for 
vessels running either to Portland or Boston Har¬ 
bor, when I saw the ‘ Lucy T ’ cornin’ along under 
full sail. All her rag was on even to her top-sails. 
Even then it was no top-sail breeze, and I knew the 
upper canvas would not be flyin’ if Captain Dun¬ 
kirk was not drunk. It was about half-past five 


How Certain Plans Were Upset 73 


in the afternoon when the ‘ Lucy T ’ passed close 
to me. Captain Dunkirk was at the wheel, and 
as she sailed by the captain and his crew gave me 
some wild hurrahs. By their actions I knew that 
they had all been drinking too much, and were 
startin' for the fishin' off of the banks like a lot of 
crazy Wall-streeters. I wanted to holler out to 
them, ( Get in some of yer rag, or there’ll be 
trouble,’ but I knew Dunkirk, and in that mood — 
and with that crew he’d want to run me down. 

“ All afternoon I’d been lookin’ at the barom¬ 
eter, and things did not look right to me. For 
two or three hours I’d been lookin’ for a blow, and 
those fools on the 1 Lucy T ’ were runnin’ right 
out to sea, as if nothin’ was goin’ to happen. Yet 
big black, scuddin’ clouds had been workin’ up 
from the west for the last two hours. Suddenly, 
from out the nor’west, there come a blow the like 
of which I never see before in October. It started 
in at thirty-five miles an’ hour, and ran quick to 
50 an’ 60 and even 90; and kep’ it up for nigh 
three days. Fortunately for me, I had been 
workin’ the 1 Neptune ’ with the west wind 
towards Portland, and when the gale started, with 
the wind on my quarter, I had no trouble to make 


74 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


it. But I got in just in time. In that 50 to 90 
mile wind, — perhaps I would not be here, now/’ 
said the captain, with his winsome smile, “ a 
talkin’ to you two boys in the ‘ Neptune,’ if I 
hadn’t had a clear head. Of course, I could not 
switch my thoughts from Captain Dunkirk and 
his men, and I had every reason to be worried — 
because ” — this with a mellowed tone of an organ 
with the soft pedajl on—“We never saw them again! 

“ Now, that is what liquor does, and ” — here 
the captain’s voice got pathetic and fatherly — 
“ I just wanted to say, that yer can’t sail the 
1 Odin ’ in safety with whiskey aboard, an’ if any 
of yer passenger-fools bring it aboard, tell ’em 
either to chuck it overboard, or to get ashore as 
fast as ever you can take ’em. A man needs all 
the poor wits God has given him,” he casually 
remarked, with a twinkle in his eye, “ to sail a 
yacht. And don’t forget this, my lads, don’t 
take any foolish chances! ” With such good 
advice given Captain Mellock at once dipped into 
another subject. 

“ Look here, Sam, I’ve got some business to 
propose to you. Two of my sailors have recently 
got disabled. One is down with a broken leg and 


How Certain Plans Were Upset 75 


I’ve shipped him ashore. The other is laid up with 
malarial fever and will not be around for a week. 
Now this is the business I want to propose. Why 
can’t two of you crack sailors come on board the 
‘ Neptune ’ for a couple of days, until I can find a 
couple of ordinary sailors? The other one of your 
party can look after things on the 1 Odin ’ and you 
three boys can see each other every morning and 
evening, because we shall come to this Point 
Allerton moorings each night. I will give $5.00 
a day each, for a couple of days, and that will 
mean for your treasury $20.00 to the good.” 

“ Of course we will do it for you Captain Mel- 
lock, and we will be glad to, but we don’t want a 
penny. Let’s do it on the grounds of friendship, 
Captain Mellock,” spoke up Sam in the promptest 
and manliest sort of way. 

“ Belay there! ! my boy, I can’t allow that! 
I want to pay you just as I do the others; and I 
want to boss you — just as I do the others,” he 
twinkled at them, “ on my boat! ” 

So it was decided that two of them should serve 
the “ Neptune ” for two days, and that there 
should be no suggestion of favoritism in the 
arrangement. It was agreed that Sam and Si 


76 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


should go back to the “ Odin,” tell Tim all about 
the plan, and that the three of them should toss 
up to determine which should become the lucky 
two. 

Tim was more enthusiastic over helping out the 
“ Neptune ” — if such a thing wtere possible, than 
even Sam and Si because he had never been on 
a pilot boat, and wished that he might be one of 
the two to become a real sailor on a real schooner. 
So the three friends tossed and, a's luck would 
have it, Tim won in the toss, and Si also. 

“ That is just as it should be,” remarked Sam. 
“ I have been on the 1 Neptune ’ a good many 
times, and you two fellows being away for a 
couple of days will give me a chance to work up 
a sailing of the ‘ Odin ’ from Hull, perhaps, with a 
party on next Friday — three days off.” 

The two new sailors of the “ Neptune ” were to 
begin their duties in the morning — the first of 
which was scrubbing down the deck, and polishing 
the brass work. Captain Mellock had invited 
all three to take breakfast with him, so there was 
nothing for the boys to do on this Wednesday 
morning save make their early preparation for 
getting aboard the “ Neptune.” All three were 


How Certain Plans Were Upset 77 


up at 5.30 o’clock, and the first thing they did was 
to get in their usual morning plunge. Not one 
of them would have neglected a jump into the 
sea, unless the morning were too cold and the 
weather too bad, for anything you might offer 
him. It takes courage to jump right overboard 
at five-thirty in the morning, even on a summer’s 
day, because the wind at that hour is sharp, but 
these boys were brought up not to be lazy, or to 
shun a duty even because, for a moment, there was 
some hardship in it. But, after the first shock of 
the cold sea-water, what a luxury it was to be 
alive! How deliciously they felt the flesh tingle, 
and how the plunge took away all sense of drowsi¬ 
ness and deadness! And, for health, they believed 
with all their enthusiastic hearts that bathing once 
a day meant longer, and better, and happier years. 
They had all been overboard once; but, for good- 
luck, they must dive once more together! So 
overboard they went! 

“ There’s nothing like this in the world for me. 
I don’t cut it out of mine,” remarked the glowing 
Tim, as he dashed down the cabin steps to com¬ 
plete his dressing. 

After breakfast Sam got back to the “ Odin,” 




78 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


while the “ Neptune " broke out sail and got away 
toward Boston Light in a light but sufficient 
morning breeze. As long as Sam could keep an 
eye on his two chums he gave them a flag salute, 
which the large blue pilot flag of the “ Neptune/' 
flying from her tail main topmast and undulating 
in the wind, seemed to answer. 

After the “ Neptune ” had got over the “ Nar¬ 
rows," Sam turned his attention to personal mat¬ 
ters. He first wrote a letter to his mother, in 
which he told her his experiences of the last two 
days, and of Si's and Tim's going off in the “ Nep¬ 
tune." Sam knew that it would please her to 
learn that he had seen Captain Mellock, and that 
the “ Odin ” had done so well for those on board. 
He gave a graphic account of his fishing experi¬ 
ence with the mackerel, and of taking Joe's 
lobsters to market; but he purposely omitted to 
write of the price they had got because the financial 
end of the enterprise he wished to tell as a whole, 
and as a surprise, at the termination of the cruise. 
He sent his letter to Weymouth, as he was in 
doubt if his mother had got off to Vermont, but 
if she had, he knew that it would be forwarded to 
her there. 


How Certain Plans Were Upset 79 


In the expectation of Sam’s going to the post- 
office at Hull, Si and Tim, the night before, had 
each written a card to his mother assuring her that 
all was well and that he was having the grandest of 
times. These cards were to be mailed with Sam’s 
letter. After the letter was written Sam had 
found so many trifling things to do on board, that 
to his surprise he found that it was already eleven 
o’clock. It was his intention to go ashore at 
Point Allerton, walk over to Hull — less than a 
mile — look up his friend, George Tyler, who was 
the caretaker of the “ Beacon Yacht Club ” of 
Hull, and who knew everybody in town — and 
everybody who had the slightest intention of 
coming to town — to get up a yachting party in 
the “ Odin ” for Friday. She could take easily a 
dozen people on board, with comfort. If George 
Tyler would get up a party of twelve, at $2.00 
each, Sam intended to give him a commission of 
25%, or $6.00 for his trouble. This would give 
$18.00 for the day’s work to the “ Odin’s ” fund. 
But, as it was now eleven o’clock, he felt that 
perhaps he would not leave for Hull until the early 
afternoon, because the club house would, probably, 
be deserted at the noon hour. So, instead of 


80 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


going ashpre he got out “ David Copperfield,” 
which he had brought with him with “ Dombey 
and Son,” and “ Great Expectation,” for an hour’s 
read. 

In Sam’s present mood “ David Copperfield,” 
with its delightful sea flavor and its atmosphere of 
adventure and tragedy, especially called to him, 
and soon he was in the midst of one of the world’s 
masterpieces. Before he knew it the little cabin 
clock in the “ Odin’s ” cabin had got to 12.30 
o’clock, and with a start Sam came to himself. 
“ This will never do,” he remarked, “ I have got to 
get a hustle on:” Thereupon he acted upon his 
counsel and made up for lost time. It was 1.15 
o’clock when he actually got over the side of the 
“ Odin ” and gave one last careful glance to see if 
everything was in order, and the cabin door locked. 

By two o’clock he was at the “ Beacon Club,” 
looking for George Tyler, and to his surprise 
found at the club-house fully a hundred women 
present, largely made up of the wives of its mem¬ 
bers, and their friends, who had planned for an 
afternoon of auction. In the club-house were 
twenty-five small tables gaily decorated with roses 
and a fringe of dainty rosettes. . In this gala scene 


How Certain Plans Were Upset 81 


of gaily dressed women Sam found himself. Of 
course, on such an important afternoon as this, 
George Tyler could not fail to be present, and he 
entered into the plan, most agreeably, to advance 
the prosperity of Sam as well as his own. 

“ I can get you any number of people you want 
for Friday.” 

“ I have people besieging me every day — 
mostly people who have no boat of their own, but 
who are staying here for the summer; and when 
I give some of these people the tip, that the fastest 
and safest cat-boat in Boston Harbor is waiting 
to take them out for a day, well! believe me! 
it is just a question of picking and choosing the 
right ones for the party. Say, Sam, can’t you 
take more than a dozen — I can get you twenty 
as easily as twelve? ” 

“ No George, twelve is enough for a day. I 
could take out twenty for an hour or two, but 
twenty are too many for the standing room of the 
‘ Odin ’ for a day, especially if we should have a 
blow. I don’t want to have to pack them into 
the cabin, and you know just how it is in a yacht, 
we have got to have room enough to handle 
the sail properly.” 


82 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


“ You are quite right; Well say, then, twelve. 
By the way, where will you take on your party; 
at the Club Wharf? ” 

“Yes! at the wharf, if that is agreeable, and let 
us say nine o’clock to make the start.” With 
that they parted. 

Sam had just got out of the club-house, and had 
walked, perhaps, a hundred feet away, when he 
heard a strange, penetrating, ominous sound — a 
sort of invisible screeching, which gave to him an 
uncontrolable fear. Unconsciously he ducked his 
head as if some frightful thing in the air were 
about to destroy him, and immediately, he heard 
a thud, saw sand thrown up in the air, and not 
twenty feet away from where he stood, a big, 
black thing had ploughed into the earth! Before, 
however, he could understand what the monster 
was, or even get over the effect of his fright, he 
heard the ominous sound repeated, found himself 
ducking a second time, felt himself shaken with 
fear, but instead now, of seeing sand thrown up 
into the air, he heard a crashing sound coming 
from the direction of the club-house, and became 
at once aware that something had struck and 
carried away nearly the half of a telephone pole. 





HE SAW THE LITTLE GIRL IN THE PATH OF THEIR RUNNINf 

















How Certain Plans Were Upset 83 


Then came to his ears the screams of women, as 
they rushed from the club-house into the 
street. 

On the other side of the road, and just opposite 
him, stood an ice-cart, at the pole of which were 
two frantic horses, and fifty feet in front of them 
was a little girl, who, a minute before, had been 
playing in the dirt. In spite of his own fear, the 
strangeness of the occurrence, and the screaming 
and excitement, Sam’s quick eye and mind took 
in the situation: he saw at a glance the leaping 
horses ready for their wild plunge; he saw the 
little girl right in the path of their running, and 
like a flash, felt at his own heart the grief of that 
little girl’s mother, and then came to him a wild 
desire to check and to turn those frightened horses 
away from that child. Without for a second 
thinking of himself or that his rashness might 
prove his own undoing, he leaped for the struggling 
horses, reached them in three bounds, and just 
as they had started on their mad flight, he had the 
nigh horse by the wood part of^his tall collar, had 
pulled himself up on the side of the horse by a 
supreme effort, had reached with his left hand the 
reins of the off horse and jerked his head fiercely 


84 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


towards his mate’s head, had swerved the pair 
towards the middle of the road. Whether or not 
the crushing wheels of that ice-cart had escaped 
the body of that little child he did not know, but, 
he prayed, if a boy ever prayed, that the child 
might be safe. But he was in great peril himself. 
He realized that if his feet touched the ground it 
would be all up with him; but how could he 
scramble to the back of that horse by whose collar 
he so frantically held! In the knowledge of his 
peril, though he knew that his left shoulder had a 
pain as if it were being burned by fire, he made one 
more desperate effort, and reached the back of the 
running animal. Seated astride the horse, he 
took the reins in his strong hands, and jerked at 
both horses’ heads with a will and a strength which 
satisfied him that they could be controlled. 
Fortunately for him the road he was on was free 
from wagons and led up Hull Hill. There was, 
however, one more peril. “ What,” he thought, 
“ if they should take the turn to the right going 
down towards the water, instead of keeping on up 
the hill? ” Sam, thereupon, set firmly his Virs 
jaws, took a fresh grip on the reins and sawed at 
the horses’ bits, while he steadied their heads for 


How Certain Plans Were Upset 85 


the hill. At a tremendous gallop both horses took 
the ascent and, half way up, had lost the race: 
with nostrils dilated, sides heaving and every 
second, their breath becoming more labored, when 
they reached the top, of their own desire they 
came to a halt. Then Sam jumped to the ground 
and in jumping nearly collapsed, so weak were his 
limbs; but he had enough presence of mind to 
hold on to the reins. 

Soon, fifty men and boys were there to give him 
help. Not a man in the crowd but looked as pale 
as he, but there was not one of them but was 
ready to give a great shout — a cheer of gladness. 
“ Such bravery! ” “ Such cleverness! ” “ Such 

a fine gritty fellow! ” these were some of the 
things Sam heard, and their shouts and praise 
quite staggered him. What he wished most for 
was to get away from that crowd and relieve the 
pain of his arm; it was paining him as if it were 
burning him up. 

Just as he was working his way out of the centre 
to the rim of the circle he suddenly looked up and 
saw the most beautiful girl, with eyes that went 
through him, making straight for him. He was 
confused enough when she reached out her hand 


86 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


and said, with traces of tears in her eyes: “ It was 
the finest thing I ever saw. You were splendid! 
I must thank you! No one in all the world could 
have done it better — or even so well; ” and tak¬ 
ing away her hand she inquired with the utmost 
sympathy, if he were hurt? For the moment he 
had forgotten all about his pain — but only for the 
moment — for there was still the fire and the 
throbbing, throbbing of a disabled arm. He tried 
to smile, but he had to shut his teeth down hard 
instead. 

“ Are you hurt dreadfully? ” this young lady 
inquired. “ Oh! I see you are, and we must get 
to a doctor at once.” 

But before Sam would answer her question, he 
must learn about the child. 

“ What of the little girl, did anything happen 
to her? ” 

u Not a thing; not even a scratch. She’s as 
right as ever she was ” — a reply which brought 
with it the color to Sam’s pale face. 

“ Now, please tell me where you are hurt.” 

“It’s only my shoulder—it’s nothing—merely 
a bruise.” 

“ Well we’ll see about that. I must take you 


How Certain Plans Were Upset 87 


to Dr. Winsor at once, — Mr. — r Mr. — r I do 
not know your name.” 

“ Sam Virs,” supplied Sam. 

Calling one of her friends from the crowd she 
commanded him to take Sam immediately to see 
Dr. Winsor. 

“ But it’s only a bruise,” remonstrated our hero. 

“ Do just as I say, please,” this determined Miss 
went on. Whereupon Sam was led away with a 
blurred sense of having been bossed and blessed 
by a brown-eyed and brown-handed angel, dressed 
in a white linen suit, carrying a rose silk parasol 
in one of her hands. 


CHAPTER VI 


WHEN GUNNERS SHOOT 

The noise of the happenings of the afternoon had 
got abroad, and in the streets everywhere were 
excited groups of people talking them over. 
Everyone felt the danger of living at Hull, for 
the truth must be told that those two screaming 
things that had caused all the fright and havoc, 
were nothing less than two fifty pound shells 
fired from a gun from one of the batteries stationed 
in Boston Harbor in target practice. “ If such 
things as these were passed over, unchallenged, 
whose life would be safe,” neighbor asked neighbor. 

When Sam reached Dr. Winsor’s office the 
doctor was out. The maid however expected him 
back at any moment. “ Would he come in and 
wait? ” So Sam sat down to wait. 

Some fifteen minutes later the surgeon came 
in, and was already in possession of the facts 
of the afternoon. Those two shots had cer¬ 
tainly set up a tremendous commotion, and no 


When Gunners Shoot 


89 


one could be anywhere near Hull and not have 
heard of them. He had become familiar with the 
story of the hysterical women at the “ Beacon 
Club ” and of Sam’s heroism in saving the child, 
and was all prepared to do his utmost to relieve 
Sam’s case. 

“ Is it your shoulder? Let’s have a look at it.” 
And with that he stepped forward in the most 
friendly w'ay to help Sam off with his coat. To¬ 
gether they got the coat off somehow, but with the 
shirt it was a different matter. 

“ We won’t try to get it off in the usual way,” 
remarked the doctor. “ I see that it pains you too 
much to try to lift that arm. We’ll slit the shirt 
and see just what is behind it ” and when the 
surgeon saw Sam’s shoulder and upper arm he 
gave a whistle. 

“ I guess that pains you just a bit, but keep up 
your grit, we’ll make you feel easier, soon.” 
Carefully he examined the shoulder and arm, and 
came to the conclusion that no bones were broken 
but that Sam had had a frightful wrench, that the 
ligaments had been injured, and that the arm must 
be kept absolutely quiet for at least a week. 

The first thing to do was to apply hot water; 


90 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


and this kind of treatment made him think of 
“ Portuguese Joe’s ” plight, and of his own surgery 
on Monday. “ Surely that was ages ago! ” 
Then a gentle massage was attempted with 
alcohol, but the punishment was too much for 
even our hero, so the doctor finally dispensed 
with it. 

“ I shall prescribe for you a soothing liniment of 
opium and chloroform,” announced the doctor, 
“ and I want you to apply it, say at intervals of 
from two to three hours. Can you manage it? ” 

“ Yes! ” replied Sam, “ I can if I can apply it 
myself, because for two days I shall be pretty 
much alone,” and then he told the doctor the 
situation he was in on board the “ Odin.” “ Of 
course,” he added, “ if either one of my two chums 
knows about it, nothing would keep him from 
staying by me, and I don’t want to take him away 
from the ‘ Neptune.’ Say, doctor, don’t you 
think that I can manage all right alone? ” 

“ Well, old man,” remarked the doctor, “ we’ll 
let it go at that, but I’ll be around myself to have 
a look at it on the 1 Odin.’ ” 

“ Oh! ” said Sam, “ Doctor, you are too good, I 
won’t ask you to do that.” 


When Gunners Shoot 


91 


“ I’ll be there sometime in the morning. And 
I order you as your physician not to leave the 
‘ Odin/ for a;ny reason, until I get there,” and the 
doctor gave Sam a determined look. 

That night, when the “ Neptune ” had got in, 
Tim and Si were much concerned to find Sam’s 
left arm in a sling and wanted to hear the story 
from Sam. But all Sam would tell them was that 
when their backs were turned, “like a fool” he had 
wrenched his shoulder a trifle, while he was in 
Hull, and that a kind friend had hustled him to a 
doctor — it was perfectly foolish to talk about it. 
All that was needed was a rub of liniment, and 
that the doctor had given him. And then he 
launched out on the plans for Friday! Tomorrow 
would be their last day on the “ Neptune and 
George Tyler was to get up a party for the “Odin,” 
which was to leave from the Hull Yacht Club 
Wharf at nine o’clock in the morning. By Fri¬ 
day he would be as fit as anybody, and they were 
to think no more about it. But it was evident that 
this talk did not satisfy either Tim or Si, and both 
showed it. Then impulsive Tim said, “ Let the 
‘ Neptune ’ go hang, I’m going to stay on the 
‘ Odin,’ tomorrow.” To which Sam replied: 


92 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


“ Now don’t be foolish Tim, I know just how 
you two fellows feel — and I appreciate it. But 
we have got to keep our agreement with Captain 
Mellock. He needs you more than I do. I agree 
not to go off the ‘ Odin ’ tomorrow — have a com¬ 
plete lay-off — and I don’t want you two fellows 
about. In fact I am having such a bully good time 
without you that I want to keep it up. I want to 
read ‘ David Copperfield/ and I can’t do it half 
decently if you are around. Now the incident is 
closed. Fellows, it is all right,” Sam found him¬ 
self saying, with, to his surprise, a catch in his 
voice. 

So the “ Neptune ” started the next morning 
with Si and Tim, and Sam gave his friends, as long 
as he could see them, his flag salute, but if Sam 
had told the truth to anyone he would have had 
to admit that he hated to see them go. “ Well, 
they will be back by five o’clock,” he remarked to 
himself, “ and I shall worry the day through, 
somehow. ’ ’ Then his mind went quickly over that 
terrible fright and ride of yesterday, and all of a 
sudden he saw a beautiful young girl before him, 
flushed with hurrying and in great excitement, a 
girl in the whitest of white dresses carrying in her 


When Gunners Shoot 


93 


hand a rose colored parasol, and wearing at her 
waist a bunch of sweet peas. She had creamy- 
white skin, wavy chestnut hair, and the most 
wonderful blue eyes — which seemed to look right 
through him, as he heard her musical voice say, 
as she took his hand, “ Are you hurt? ” Then the 
vision left him, and in its place he found his eyes 
filling with tears. 

“ I wonder what her name is? ” he really heard 
himself say. “ Drat it! this will never do! ” and 
with that he pushed open the cabin door, moved 
cautiously down the stairs aind dropped, with 
“ David Copperfield,” on his bunk. But try as 
ever he would he could not help getting mixed 
up with “ Davy,” and “ Peggoty,” and “ Steer- 
forth,” and “ Mr. Macawber ” and the rest, a 
beautiful girl, dressed in white, who was looking 
straight through him and inquiring with the most 
musical voice, “ Are you hurt? ” 

No! he could not read — he could only think! 
and so he thought and tossed, and tossed and 
thought; then he would look seaward through the 
side window of the cabin and think and think! 
and all his thinking revolved about a single object 
of thought — a pretty girl in white, with wonderful 


94 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


blue eyes and chestnut hair asking so sympa¬ 
thetically her question. It surely was more than 
human nature could stand. The cabin of the 
“ Odin ” for once seemed like a prison,. “Oh! if 
I could only go ashore! ” he kept saying to 
himself. So he harassed himself hour after 
hour. 

About ten o’clock he spied coming out of Hull 
Gut, and pointing in the direction of Allerton, a 
motor launch of some twenty feet. Watching the 
moving craft to his surprise he found that it was 
making for the “ Odin.” Soon he heard a cheery 
voice calling out, “ All aboard the ‘ Odin! ’ ” 
Sam answered the call with a hail, the launch 
came alongside and Dr. Winsor clambered 
aboard. 

When the doctor stood in the standing-room he 
looked the “ Odin ” over with a fine appraising 
eye, and remarked, “ She’s a beauty! How long is 
she, thirty feet? ” “ No! she’s only twenty- 

seven,” replied Sam. 

“ Why, I thought she must be at least thirty- 
two! She’s a big boat for twenty-seven! Why! 
I have never seen such a roomy one, for her size, 
before. Look at the height of her bow! I must 


When Gunners Shoot 


95 


stand on it,” and thereupon Dr. Winsor climbed 
up on the sides and on to the bow. Then he looked 
aft with a critical eye. “ What full lines she has! 
Those high curved sides tell something of her 
power. She’s pretty able in a sea, I know, by 
the build of her. She can sail some, I reckon, 
too? ” 

Now this praise of the “ Odin ” filled Sam’s 
heart pretty full for the doctor, and he was only 
too glad to let himself go on telling the doctor what 
the “ Odin ” could do. 

11 Why, this is the yacht which takes all the first 
prizes for her class, roundabout here! I remember 
her, now. Well! I should think that you would 
be proud of her.” The doctor now put his head in 
the cabin. “ Splendid! and remarkably roomy. 
Why you three fellows could live aboard her for a 
year, and still have comfort. But what are these 
tanks, high up and running along her side? ” 

“ These are air tanks! ” said Sam. “ My father, 
when he built the ‘ Odin,’ wanted to make a per¬ 
fect cruising craft out of her, and as seaworthy 
as a boat could be built. He believed that he 
could build a non-capsizable, non-sinkable boat. 
Underneath her flooring is balsa wood the 


96 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


lightest wood in the world — even lighter than 
cork! The 1 Odin ’ represents his ideas of an 
easily handled, perfectly trustworthy craft in any 
wind or weather. That is the reason he never 
feared to let me handle her, years ago, alone. 
And so far she has justified herself/’ remarked 
Bam, modestly. “ The ‘ Odin ’ never has got 
left yet, and we have always got home.” 

“ She is a beauty, and sometime — say in 
September — you must pick me up at Hull, and 
show me what the ‘ Odin ’ can do.” 

“ Nothing would give me greater pleasure, 
doctor.” And the doctor knew by the ring in his 
voice that he meant it. “ And now let us have a 
look at that shoulder! ” 

“ You have had a bad strain, but really it looks 
worse than it is. There is nothing broken, I 
believe, and while I know it is very painful, in a 
week you will be all right again: but you must rub 
it well, and keep it quiet. I am sorry for you but 
I shall have to keep your arm in a sling for a good 
week. Oh! I must tell you of what happened 
in the town last night. The citizens got up an 
‘ Indignation Meeting/ aired their grievances, and 
sent a telegram to the Secretary of the Navy at 


When Gunners Shoot 


97 


Washington. But, there is no need of my telling 
you this. I have brought you the Boston Herald, 
and Globe, and you will find everything in print .’ 7 
And the doctor laid the papers on the curved seat 
in the “ Odin’s ” standing-room. 

“ Well! I must be going,” exclaimed the doctor, 
looking at his watch. It is eleven o’clock.” 

“ How much is my bill, doctor? ” inquired 
Sam. “ I want to pay it, if I can.” 

“ The bill? Oh! that will be all right. You 
leave that to me. Give me a chance to put it in 
either to the Town of Hull, or to the U. S. Govern¬ 
ment. This is my innings,” jokingly put in the • 
doctor, “ and here is my chance for a home run. 
Not a penny, my boy,” he added in a serious vein, 
“ The advertisement is worth dollars and dollars 
to me.” Sam did not understand this. 

“ Good-bye and good-luck,” waved the doctor 
as his launch made for home. “ Thanks,” was all 
Sam found himself able to say; but he watched 
the doctor until he had got well out of sight. 
Then, “ Heigh-ho ” came from him. 

He now took up the morning papers, and on the 
front page in big headings he read of yesterday’s 
excitement at Hull. 


98 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


Shots From Harbor Forts Land in Hull 

Members of Old Beacon Club Flee Club¬ 
house in Fear 

Telegram of Protest to Secretary of War 


The articles set forth in picturesque language 
the delightful party of ladies at the “ Beacon 
Club-house,” and the excitement they were thrown 
into as the two 50-pound shots screamed over 
Hull, and buried themselves in the sand near the 
Club-house; the Indignation Meeting of the even¬ 
ing, and the telegram which had been sent. This 
is the telegram as the papers printed it: 

Hull, Mass., July 2, 1920. 
To Secretary of War, Garrison, 

Washington, D. C. 

Dear Sir : 

Two solid shots from heavy guns, fired from 
harbor forts, struck a densely populated district 
of this town today. 

Order cessation all firing at once, pending 
investigation. Population protesting. 

Signed Selectmen of the Town of Hull. 



When Gunners Shoot 


99 


Near to, and on the first page of the Herald 
Sam, to his surprise and consternation, read these 
words: — 

HEROISM AT HULL! 

Samuel Virs of Weymouth Saves Child ! 

Remarkable Courage Shown 
Citizens to Apply for Carnegie Medal ! 


Then the story followed telling of Sam’s jumping 
for the frightened run-away horses; of leaping, 
at the peril of his life, on one of those plunging 
steeds; of turning them from their course of 
destruction in trampling down a little child; of 
forcing their heads in the direction of Hull Hill; 
and, finally, of mastering the fear-cxazed horses, 
after a desperate struggle; of being led, pale and 
injured, to the home of Dr. Winsor, where his 
wounds were dressed. 

It was a well told — an ornately dramatic 
tale — but to poor Sam Virs, its reading brought a 
flush of shame. 

“ The idiot who wrote up all that rot! What if 
Mother shduld come across it! — and, another 
flush went over him. “ Injured! ” he went on 



100 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


— “ Why here am I in the cabin of the 4 Odin/ 
and with just a little bruise on my arm! ” — and 
the indignant and disgusted Sam threw the paper 
as far away from him as his good arm could 
manage. 

After reading that eulogistic and humiliating, 
as Sam thought, report in the morning papers, he 
set to work at once to write a letter to his mother 
to calm her fears — if by chalice her eye should 
fall upon it. Especially he wanted to satisfy her 
about his shoulder. 

Early in the afternoon he saw another small 
launch heading towards the “ Odin.” Soon the 
friendly countenance of George Tyler began to 
smile, as Sam waved his hand to him. George 
brought the good news that a party of twelve had 
engaged the yacht for the next daly. They 
wanted to leave the Club Pier by nine. This was 
agreeable enough to Sam, and George took his 
leave, carrying with him the letter which Sam had 
written to Vermont. 

It was only two o’clock! and Sam had to do the 
best he could alone until Si and Tim should return. 
It was a weary wait, but everything ends at last, 
and so did Sam’s weariness. About five o’clock 


When Gunners Shoot 


101 


he saw the “ Neptune ” slipping through the 
narrows. Her pilot’s flag was flying from the 
main mast. Seeing that fluttering flag, by the 
beating of his heart he knew how glad he felt and 
how bored he had been with himself during this 
interminable day of trial. 

As the “ Neptune ” neared her mooring Si and 
Tim gave a great shout and waved their caps to 
him. Soon sails were lowered, the deck put ship¬ 
shape, and Tim and Si were rowing for the “ Odin.” 
On the shore two sailors could be seen waiting to 
be taken to the “ Neptune.” 

So, everything was working out beautifully, 
according to schedule. Captain Mellock had sent 
with Si his thanks to Sam for the help given him; 
and Tim, even before he had asked how Sam was, 
tossed a twenty dollar bill to him remarking, 
“ Put that in your wad! ” 

Being assured by Sam that his shoulder and 
arm were in fine shape the chums got up sail, 
thinking that it was well to work through Hull 
Gut ahd anchor near the Yacht Club Wharf, so 
that nothing should interfere with their sailing 
plans for the morrow. Si and Tim were tickled 
enough with the prospects for the swelling of their 


102 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


funds from the good round sum expected from this 
trip. 

Thirty minutes afterwards, with the fine breeze 
then blowing, they had worked through the Gut 
and were tied up to the club pier. 

After supper Si went ashore to go to the post- 
office, and to bring back the morning and evening 
papers. He had not had a paper in his hands for 
two whole days and was anxious to get the news. 
He had heard nothing of the excitement at Hull, 
being on the u Neptune/’ nor of the heroic part 
Sam had played in that quiet town’s afternoon 
drama. But after his trip to town it can be 
imagined the excited state of his mind and the 
pride he felt in Sam, when he returned to the 
“ Odih.” 

“ Now, I know how you hurt your arm! ” 
remarked Si as he put his hand affectionately on 
Sam’s right shoulder. 

“ What’s all this? ” inquired Tim. 

“ Read it for yourself,” remarked Si, as he 
handed the papers to Tim. 

Soon they heard a great shout as Tim bawled 
out, “ So that’s the way you’ve been bluffing us, 
is it? Well! if you aren’t a corker, Sam.” Then 


When Gunners Shoot 


103 


he gave his whole attention to the reading of the 
paper, but soon he let himself out again, in this 
fashion: “ Sam, you old sculpin, you’re great! ” 

Then Tim and Si got after Sam and would not 
be satisfied until they had heard the last word of 
his experience: they wanted everything, but the 
thing which stirred them most was his encounter 
with the person with the rose-colored parasol. 
But they did not get far in that direction. Noth¬ 
ing under heaven would draw his fire from that 
quarter! To their questions regarding his impres¬ 
sions of the young lady, Sam was impressively 
silent. 

By five o’clock the next day, if the natives of 
Hull had been poking about at that early morning 
hour, they might have seen two copper colored 
youths, athletically jumping from the sides of a 
trim, white-sided yacht, and after a kicking and a 
splashing in the sea, returning to the yacht and, 
with much laughing and joking, rubbing them¬ 
selves down with crash towels. Then, if they were 
still watching, they would have seen the same pair 
swabbing decks, polishing brasswork, and rubbing 
down the white paint until everything shone like 
glass in the morning sunshine. Soon after this, 


104 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


the smell of good coffee might have been detected 
in the air. 

After breakfast Si went ashore to get the morn¬ 
ing Herald; and when he got it to his amazement 
he read in big letters: 

Orders Given to Cease Firing at Hull 
Col. Hawthorn Takes Prompt Action 
Target Practice in Harbor Prohibited 
Two Shots Went Wild Yesterday 
Great Indignation of Citizens 

and with a full account of meetings, and again the 
story of Sam’s heroic action. 


CHAPTER VII 

THE RUN TO THE OUTER BREWSTER 

While Tim and Si were swabbing decks there 
was some anxiety expressed regarding the weather 
for the day. Soon after the sunshiny day had 
opened, heavy clouds began to form and soon, 
from the east, there blew in a mist which wet 
everything. But this fickleness of the weather 
again changed. By 7.30 o’clock the mist had 
blown quite away, and in its place came a north¬ 
west wind which broke and scattered the massed 
clouds. Directly afterwards, the sun shone forth 
in a blaze. Every signal was out for a perfect 
day. 

The time had come when the three yachtsmen 
must get ready for the reception of their guests, 
and each one felt that he must dress for the occa¬ 
sion. Before they~left Weymouth they had 
provided themselves with a special yachting suit 
to be used only on the days when they had sailing 
parties aboard. For this party of Friday, being 


106 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


their first, they were especially desirous of doing 
the thing most ship-shape. So each got out his 
new apparel, which consisted of white duck trou¬ 
sers and shoes, a light flannel shirt of navy blue with 
a trimming of white, and a navy blue and white 
cap with a black visor and braid. With a four-in- 
hand black silk tie occasionally flapping in the 
breeze, as nattily dressed boys as ever trod a deck 
were soon anxiously pacing up and down the 
timbers of the “ Odin.” 

Fortunately, the tide was nearly high so that it 
was a simple matter to step on the “ Odin ” 
directly from the Club Wharf. The sail was up 
and shaking merrily in the fresh breeze, the pen¬ 
nant was at the mast head, and the American Flag 
was in its proper place at the stern. All was ready, 
except the passengers. The first to arrive was 
George Tyler who, while he could not go himself, 
felt responsible to see that the full party arrived 
and got off safely. “ A perfect day! ” was the first 
greeting. “ Our friends will have the time of their 
lives. I regret more than I can tell you that I 
can’t go along.” 

“ Is there no way you can manage it? ” inquired 
Sam. 


The Run to the Outer Brewster 107 


“ I’ve got to be at the Club-house at two. 
Another party is on for the afternoon, and I am 
told that they can’t get along without his highness, 
and there you are. Of course I ought to be 
tickled to death with all this adoration, but to 
tell you the truth, old man, there is nothing doing 
for me. The * Odin ’ for mine, every time — 
especially with the kind of people I’ve got 
you.” 

“ Who are they? ” 

“ Oh! I’ll introduce you to them in good time. 
You’ll like them all right.” 

The first to arrive were Mr. and Mrs. Colfax of 
New York who had been married about a year, 
attractive, friendly young people. 

Then came Mr. Whipple, a bachelor of fifty, with 
a smiling, sunburnt face, and a voice, which every¬ 
body thought, because of its peculiar drawl, 
“ deliciously humorous.” Mr. Whipple knew as 
much about the sea as a sunflower, and less about 
the behavior of boats. This, strange to relate, was 
to be his first experience on a yacht, and he was 
looking forward to his day’s outing with all the 
unspoiled eagerness of a child. 

“ Will it be rough? ” was his first inquiry, as he 


108 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


was introduced to “ Captain Virs ” and his two 
mates. 

Two young fellows of about twenty, — John 
Garfield, and F. Gardner Smith — Dartmouth 
men of the second year — lively, pleasant, talka¬ 
tive fellows, next came in view; then Mr. and Mrs. 
Godfrey. Now, no one could look upon the God¬ 
freys without feeling a glow of pleasure. Mr. 
Godfrey was in the cotton brokerage business, and 
while he bought and sold cotton on commission, 
he felt that he held a bigger commission in the 
world than worrying about the ups and downs of 
cotton. He was interested in people. He was 
interested in their happiness, in their getting out 
of life the sport that he said, “ ought to go with 
the game of mere living.” And his sunny face 
showed his interest. So did his greeting and 
hand-shake. And when he shook hands with 
Sam and Si and Tim, each knew that they were 
to have a friend on board, and that if everybody 
took his cue from Mr. Godfrey, everybody would 
be bent on trying to give the other fellow a good 
time. And it was the same with Mrs. Godfrey. 
When she said, “ Well! so this is the Captain and 
crew of the ‘ Odin ’; the sight of you makes me 


The Run to the Outer Brewster 109 


feel at home at once ” with absolute sincerity, 
and with the loveliest of motherly voices, the boys 
adopted her at once, and each determined to do 
his best to give Mrs. Godfrey a happy day. The 
Godfreys were not far from sixty years of age, but 
one would never guess it from any remark they 
made or anything they did. They behaved just 
like sensible young people. Of course their hair 
had become tinged with gray — but what of that 
— since even the gamesome Tim would, in their 
presence, have to hustle to support his laurels for 
cheer and go. Everyone thought of the Godfreys 
as good sports who brought with them just those 
qualities necessary to make other people happy. 

Then came sauntering along Miss Belle Carter of 
Pittsburg, a stout, merry girl of nineteen who 
moved along with a magnificent swing that always 
made a path for her wherever she went. Miss 
Carter was in a state of excitement to see Boston 
Harbor, since she had read so much about it con¬ 
cerning colonial days and a little Boston “Tea 
Party ” which had raised such a tempest in the 
world, and especially in the staid old city of 
London. When Belle Carter saw the American 
Flag at the stern of the “ Odin ” she knew that the 


no 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


trip was going to be “ perfectly lovely,” and that 
nothing could possibly happen to spoil the day’s 
delight. “ Where shall I step? ” she inquired of 
Si — and rather coquettishly it must be confessed 
— as she gave him her hand to be helped aboard. 
We shan’t think any the less of our staid old Si if 
the historian is obliged to put down that he did not 
play up to Miss Carter’s little weaknesses. She 
was all right with them even though she could 
have got on without them. 

The last to arrive was a party of four — a 
young lady and her father, and two girl friends — 
the Misses Langdon of Concord, New Hampshire. 
Grace Langdon was eighteen and her sister Vivian 
sixteen. 

The young lady, who was dressed in a tailored 
white suit, a white panama hat, wound with a 
scarf of sea-green liberty silk, and white tennis 
shoes, was a pleasing picture to cheer the grumpi¬ 
est old sailor that ever trod a yacht’s deck. As 
this young lady approached the “ Odin,” Sam had 
his back turned to the land and so was unaware of 
her presence until George Tyler had called out, 
“ Sam! the rest of our friends have come! ” Then 
Sam turned and faced the one person in all Hull 


The Run to the Outer Brewster 111 


whom he could most wish to meet on such a trip 
as this — the girl of two days ago, the girl with the 
same blue eyes and chestnut hair, and a voice 
vibrant with kindness and sympathy who had 
asked him so searchingly “ are you hurt? ” And 
there she was at that moment on the Hull Yacht 
Club Wharf smiling merrily at him and then glanc¬ 
ing, with concern, at that left arm of his done up 
in its sling! 

Sam, pulling himself together, managed some¬ 
how to get on the wharf, to take off his cap, and to 
step forward. Almost at the same moment the 
young lady came towards him, and with out¬ 
stretched hand, said, “ Oh! I did not know that 
you were the Captain Virs we were to meet on the 
‘ Odin.’ Mr. Tyler has already told us that there 
will be no danger on the trip, and now, I am sure 
that we shall be perfectly safe ” — and this re¬ 
markable young person gave Sam such a friendly 
glance. “ But let me introduce you, Captain 
Virs, to my father — Mr. Cotting — to my two 
friends, Grace and Vivian Langdon.” 

So her name was Cotting! and luck was on his 
side! “ And this is the hero of Hull whom I have 
been hearing about? ” remarked her father. 


112 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


“ I am glad to meet you,” said Mr. Cotting in a 
pleasant deep voice. Then they all boarded the 
“ Odin,” and Sam gave the order to “ cast off.” 

Sam was at the tiller — which he could manage 
perfectly, with his right hand, and Si and Tim 
were at the sheet rope though one of the boys 
would be sufficient to handle that when they got 
out into the open. Just now, with the Pemberton 
boats coming and going and the swish of the 
“ Gut,” it needed two of them to handle the sail 
with rapidity. The “ Odin ” carried a six-foot 
bow-sprit, which in a race a “ flying-jib ” or a 
“ balloon jib ” might be run along, but which just 
now, and in this twelve knot breeze, there was no 
need of. The first move was to sail due west, and 
this required that the mainsail be pulled in until 
it was almost flat; but this was only for a little 
while. As soon as they got into the middle of the 
“ Gut,” the order came, “ Bring her about! ” 

Like a thing of life the “ Odin ” leaped for the 
sport, and “ wore ship ” as if she worked on an 
oiled pivot. Before she lost the wind from one 
side she had it on the other, and in going about 
there was scarcely a pause in her speed. It is this 
loss of speed in going about, which loses many a 


The Run to the Outer Brewster 113 


race for a boat, for the boat which can go most 
quickly about, is generally the one, not only to 
make the fastest time, but to lie, in the come about, 
closest to the wind, and this means, of course, that 
she has a lesser course to sail than that boat has 
which in a slow coming about spills the wind from 
her sail. And the “ Odin ” was famous for the 
quickness of her movements while “ tacking.” 
In this respect nothing could surpass her. Her 
quickness now, at once caught the attention of the 
two Dartmouth men — Garfield and Smith. 

“ Say! You’ve got some boat here,” said one. 

Sam answered nothing to this praise, but he 
gave Smith a glad nod. When they had worked 
out of the Gut, and were headed towards Boston 
Light, the “ Odin,” with the fresh northwest wind 
driving her, showed what she could do. Running 
now with the wind off the quarter the 11 Odin ” 
was going at a good twelve-miles-an-hour clip. 
Her bow was ploughing the sea like an ocean 
liner. 

She left behind a trail of hissing green-white 
suds, and her broad, high bow threw off every 
particle of spray. 

“ She’s a grand boat, Elsie,” Sam overheard 


114 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


Mr. Cotting say to his daughter; and Elsie’s 
reply, u Oh! I love her already,” filled him with 

joy- 

“ So Elsie is her name,” commented Sam to 
himself. 

They had just passed a big, black, floating thing 
which kept ringing a bell as they passed, and 
beyond, when Mr. Whipple — with his funny 
drawl inquired — “ What’s that funny black bell¬ 
ring thing? ” 

“ That’s a bell-buoy,” answered Sam. 

“ There is an avaricious one who inhabits my 
hotel,” drawled Mr. Whipple. 

“ Must we stop to tip this fellow, too,” he whim¬ 
sically asked. 

“ No tips allowed here,” broke in Tim, in a 
mock official tone, which increased the laughter. 

“ Well, you must be a new kind of species on 
this wonderful craft of your’s — a species I haven’t 
encountered anywhere before.” 

“ But you haven’t been yachting before ” 
chuckled Tim. 

The fresh breeze had kicked up a little sea, but 
nobody seemed to mind that. There was not a 
note sounded by anyone which did not have 


The Run to the Outer Brewster 115 


the ring of pleasure — if not of down right enthu¬ 
siasm— in it. But how could one help being 
joyful on such a day and in such a run! There 
were ten million sparkles to the waves. The 
breeze was filling their lungs with the purest of 
ozone; the sun was warming and thrilling their 
bodies; the “ Odin ” was rushing through the 
water like a great whale — and spouting the water 
at her bows almost like one, and doing all this 
with the most delightful lift and motion; great 
white clouds were forming and chasing each other 
like monster swans with their heads tucked under 
their wings; and the pulses of those on board were 
beating to the tune of the beauty and the motion. 
Each would glance at the other and on every face 
was a happy smile. 

When the “ Odin ” had passed Boston Light, 
and had her nose pointed well out to sea, Sam 
asked how they would like to sail up to about 
twelve o’clock, and then work towards the Island 
called “ The Middle Brewster? ” 

A friend of his, he told them, owned the Brews¬ 
ter’s and had given him permission to land there 
at any time. On the southern side there was a 
small harbor between the high rocks, which in this 


116 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


northwest wind would be as calm as a mill pond. 
There they could anchor the “ Odin ” and go 
ashore to have lunch. They could spend two or 
three hours on the Island, and have three or four 
hours, afterwards, for sailing. 

This suggestion met with instant favor, and 
Sam made his plans accordingly. 

By 12.15 o’clock the “ Odin ” was nestling as 
quietly as a sleeping baby in the Middle Brewster 
inlet, and Si and Tim were beginning to row their 
guests to the island not more than fifty feet away. 
It was decided to build a fire — if plenty of dry 
drift wood could be found — if not, to make the 
coffee on the stove of the “ Odin ” and carry it 
ashore. 

These details were left to the wisdom of Tim. 
On some dry, grassy spot they were to have their 
food. Each had brought his own lunch, and the 
larder of the “ Odin ” was able to make up for all 
things lacking. 

In coming over and running before the wind 
there had been little work for Si to do, and Mr. 
Cotting, an architect, had discovered from some¬ 
thing Si had let drop, that he was full of the love 
of beauty, and had enthused him by his talk about 


The Run to the Outer Brewster 117 


art. Now, Mr. Cotting had proposed that Si and 
Sam should share in his basket — a proposal which 
Elsie Cotting encouraged. But the boys must add 
their part to the basket, and when the coffee was 
ready, must get Tim into the party. Such a 
luncheon! Such sandwiches! which Elsie said 
she had put up with her own hands! and “ never 
was there such coffee! ” This tribute to Tim’s 
skill, of course, pleased him down to the very 
ground. 

After everybody was satisfied, there was a 
general desire to saunter about. Mr. Garfield 
and Mr. Smith asked Grace and Vivian Langdon 
to have a look round with them; Mr. Cotting 
commenced a conversation with Si on Greek 
architecture, especially concerning his preference 
on the whole, for the “ Ionic,” and soon had Si 
as warm as himself. So, turning to Elsie, Sam 
inquired, if she wouldn’t like to see the ocean from 
his favorite spot? This was a sheltered place 
facing the east, lying between two mammoth rocks, 
while about these rocks were boulders of various 
shapes and sizes, some of them had been scooped 
out by the action of the sea as the waves had 
washed over them, and left behind in the rocks the 


118 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


most alluring pools which were just now reflecting 
the great, floating clouds. On the lower rocks 
were kelp, and seaweed, and clinging barnacles. 
It was a place to hide from the world, to think 
one’s thoughts and to dream one’s dreams. Occa¬ 
sionally, at half-tide, an unusually large wave 
would pass in between these two mammoth rocks, 
and swish and foam as if it had left the ocean 
because of a quarrel with some of its fellows. But 
when it arrived between those two sheltering rocks 
it would calm down and become only a quiet, 
reflecting sunshiny pool. So, it was a quiet, lovely 
dreamy sort of a place to which Sam led Elsie — 
a place where a fellow might be led to say things 
that he might not think of saying in other places. 

It was just about half-tide now, and, as Elsie 
and Sam seated themselves, a great wave bore in 
upon their retirement, bubbling and hissing with 
anger, and with the evident intention of sweeping 
over those two big rocks, and carrying — if it 
could — everything and everybody with it. Elsie 
saw it coming and gave a little cry of fright, got 
quite close to Sam — who kept his ground — not 
because he was so much braver than Elsie, but 
because he knew better the ways of such a monster 


The Run to the Outer Brewster 119 


foamer than she, and who said to her, “ Don’t be 
afraid, his Majesty will die before ever he reaches 
us.” And, in a minute, Elsie saw that Sam was 
right — for whether it was the 1 kelp, or the barn¬ 
acles or both together, or whether it was the sur¬ 
prise of finding itself in such a lovely, quiet spot as 
this which the angry wave had just entered — or 
everything working together that took the fighting 
spirit out of the wave, is a mystery, but Elsie 
found immediately, that there was nothing but 
the dancing sea in front, and all about them wet 
rocks, and kelp, and calm beauty. 

“ Isn’t it delicious? ” exclaimed Elsie, as she 
looked at Sam, her eyes sparkling with pleasurable 
excitement. 

“ I am glad you like it, for I shouldn’t like to 
think that you didn’t like what I liked.” 

“ How long have you been coming here? ” 

“ Ever since I was a kid. You see my father 
loved the sea, and so long as I can think back, had 
a boat; and, I guess I must have been as fond of it 
as he, for I was foolish enough to cry, as if my heart 
would break, if I knew that he was going out for a 
sail, and thought of leaving me behind. He died 
two years ago,” added Sam, and then paused for a 


120 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


moment, and looking down saw a graceful brown 
h&nd just touch the arm of his coat, and as quickly 
withdraw itself. “ Five years ago ” Sam was 
moved to continue, “ he built the 1 Odin/ to take 
my mother and me to cruise with him, and that is 
how I happen to be sailing in her today. You 
will perhaps pardon me, if I tell you that I love the 
1 Odin ’ as if she were a member of my family — 
for my father put so much of himself into her, and 
she has fulfilled all his expectations of her. She 
has never failed to do just what we want her to 
do ” — and now, there was a ring of true pride in 
Sam’s baritone voice. 

“ I am so glad that you feel just as you do about 
your father, and the 1 Odin.’ ” 

“ Please tell me some more about your beautiful 
boat — and yourself,” added Elsie with a com¬ 
radely smile. “ I must know more about this 
cruise of yours.” 

And, with such sympathy and encouragement, 
how could he help launching out into his summer’s 
scheme? 

So, there on the rocks, with only gulls and terns 
to intrude upon their seclusion, with the sea 
swishing in and becoming pools and gleaming 


The Run to the Outer Brewster 121 


sunshine, Sam told her of his mother and his home 
in Weymouth, of his desire to go to Harvard — 
and of his difficulties to do so unless he earned 
money — and of this scheme of his — with his 
two friends — to see what the “ Odin” could do 
for them in making them bankers and bond¬ 
holders. In fact, Sam told Elsie many things that 
lay in his big, generous heart, because he could not 
help himself — she had such a way with her smiles 
and her questions at getting at all she wanted to 
know. 

“ It’s splendid! ” she said, at last, “ And I am so 
excited over it all. You must succeed — and I 
know you will ” — she added with her clear 
friendly look. 

“ Thank you for your kindness ” was all Sam 
could answer her. Then, after a pause, he boldly 
demanded that Elsie tell him something about 
herself. And, so, he learned that her father, 
mother and she, had taken a cottage on “ Hull 
Hill ” for the summer, that their home was in 
Boston; that she was destined for “ Radcliffe 
College;” “ so she and I might meet in Cam¬ 
bridge,” he thought. And all this was joy, 
indeed, to this fatherless and ambitious lad. 


122 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


“ I shall be very much interested in the outcome 
of this cruise of yours, so I shall expect you to keep 
me informed,” Elsie continued, — “ and when you 
reach Plymouth I shall look for a card! ” 

“ The Rock itself,” laughed Sam, “ if you wish 
it.” 

“ Perhaps we have been here quite long enough,” 
began Elsie, “ and that we ought to get started on 
our afternoon sail, but it is so lovely here, and 
there is so much to say, that I am reluctant to 
go. But,” she added impulsively, “ I can’t 
have you go to Plymouth without your calling on 
my cousin Betty. Betty is the dearest cousin in 
the world, and I am sure you will like her. She is 
small, but wise, and full of art and 1 Landscape 
Gardening.’ Your friend Si — from what you 
have told me of him — I know will like her. But 
everybody likes her! Betty’s father has given her 
a few acres of land to experiment with — Betty 
really can do anything in the world she likes with 
it. And she is making it over into a real American 
Garden, with original Bettyisms. My cousin is 
wonderfully sensible and capable, and really is the 
loveliest girl in the world ” — a statement, the 
latter part of which, Sam doubted very much, but 
thought it wise to keep his doubt to himself. 


CHAPTER VIII 


HULL STILL HAS ITS ATTRACTIONS 

It was now two o’clock and Sam and Si and 
Tim collected their scattered guests and led them 
aboard. The “ Odin ” was soon ploughing out 
into the rollicking sea with full sail drawing. The 
blocks answered merrily as the halliards felt the 
strain. 

“ How delightful it is! ” cried motherly Mrs. 
Godfrey, and a full chorus of agreement an¬ 
swered her. After the good dinner and stroll 
about the island this excitement of sailing was 
especially acceptable. Heading towards Minot’s 
Light the wind had freshened so that the “ Odin ” 
was having all she wanted with her full sail. But 
she was not staggering under the strain or dipping 
her side too much into the sea. She was behaving 
perfectly as she always did, but to a land lubber 
there were moments when he must have thought 
there was too much wind. Mr. Whipple suggested 
the possibility of this, but the calm faces of the 


124 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


others about him, and especially the serenity of 
Sam and Si and Tim, assured him that there 
wasn’t the slightest danger. 

With her port side buried in foam, her deck 
aslant, and her sail bellying just enough to show 
the curve of beauty, the “ Odin ” certainly pre¬ 
sented a picture of power and grace — not only to 
those on board but also to a group of tourists who 
were on a Cape steamer, whose captain was doing 
his best to keep up with them; for occasionally 
would go up hurrahs and cheers, while handker¬ 
chiefs would flutter and shake in the strong wind. 
The breeze was making some pretty good white- 
caps, but as the “ Odin ” dashed through them, 
not a drop of spray reached those in the standing 
room. 

The unnautical Mr. Whipple, now on his first 
yacht-outing was the most enthusiastic man of 
the party. He was all agog with excitement, all 
questions about this and that, and he did not 
hesitate to show his ignorance of the sea. Even 
of lighthouses he appeared to know nothing, for 
when Sam casually remarked that Minot’s was 
a lighthouse of the first power, he asked whether 
it was run by “ dynamo or engine.” At such a 


Hull Still Has Its Attractions 125 


question Sam looked quite blank, and had to 
inquire what Mr. Whipple meant. That gentle¬ 
man replied, “ Why, you said that Minot’s was 
a lighthouse of the first power, so I wondered 
if it was run by electricity or steam.” 

“ Oh! of course,” quickly put in Sam. “ How 
stupid of me! The power I referred to has refer¬ 
ence only to the light. Along the coast the 
Government has placed lighthouses of different 
degrees of power —all the way, I believe, from the 
first to the fourth degree. The first power lights 
can be seen twenty-five to thirty miles out to sea, 
on a clear night. The fourth power lights per¬ 
haps only ten or twelve miles out.” 

“ Yes! Yes! I see,” eagerly began Mr. Whip¬ 
ple, “ how stupid of me! But, forgive me,” droned 
this funny, friendly, old bachelor boy of fifty. 
“ For I’m only a little boy in the kindergarten 
class.” At which absurd remark everybody gave 
Mr. Whipple a handclap and a laugh. 

Then Mr. Godfrey recalled the story, as his 
father had told it, of the famous lighthouse going 
down in the great storm of many years back, with 
the loss of all the lighthouse keepers then in the 
light. 


126 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


“ But this lighthouse, so my father said, will 
never go down, built as it is into the very rock,” 
encouraged Sam. 

As they went by Minot’s it interested them all 
very much to view it through the marine glasses. 
It is placed on rocks that are ever covered with 
water, and over which every gale which rides the 
ocean sweeps with tremendous power. Old sailors 
have seen Minot’s buried to the light with waves 
and foam, and sometimes have seen the waves in 
their fury leap from pounding at its granite sides 
clear over its top. Once when a great storm was 
raging, and when Sam was only a tot, his father 
had taken him to have a look at Minot’s from the 
land side; and never will he forget that terrible 
November sight. For the waves that were that 
day sweeping over Minot’s trying to submerge it 
were the waves that were being whipped to fury 
by the same gale that carried the steamship 
“ City of Portland ” to her doom. Sam told his 
new friends how, held firmly by the hand, by his 
father, his childish eyes had seen the boiling, tur¬ 
bulent, sea-green monsters of the deep rushing 
at Minot’s sides and head, and doing their utmost 
to carry it down; and though the sight was terrible 


Hull Still Has Its Attractions 127 


to his childish imagination the lighthouse still 
held firm to the rocks. At last he could stand the 
sight of it no longer and cried in terror to be taken 
home. Still before them was that grand old 
weather-beaten shaft of granite, victor of so many 
struggles and battles of the hungry sea! 

“ Three cheers for staunch old Minot’s,” sang 
out Mr. Whipple. And these cheers, you may be 
sure, were given with a will. 

About four o’clock Tim vanished from sight to 
get the tea. And when the tea was served with 
thin sandwiches and sponge cake everyone was 
delighted. “ Nothing could be more welcome or 
delicious,” said nice Mrs. Godfrey. 

The two Dartmouth men, and the Misses Lang- 
don, had hit it off nicely. By this time they were 
well acquainted and were making a merry quar¬ 
tette towards the bow. Once in a while flashes of 
their conversation would reach Sam at the stern, 
and bring pride to his heart. Intermixed with 
comments on college and tennis, the latest play 
and opera were such enthusiastic bursts as these: 
“ Isn’t the ‘ Odin ’ just beautiful! ” “ See her 

take that wave! ” “ Didn’t you think when you 

saw it coming that it would swamp us? and not 


128 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


even a bit of spray has touched us! Isn’t she 
marvelous! ” And then he would hear a masculine 
voice make answer, “ There’s nothing groggy 
about the ‘ Odin,’ all right, all right. I’ve gone 
dippy on her, myself.” 

And from another quarter, some such remark as 
this would find him: “ Don’t these boys know how 
to sail a boat though! How did they acquire such 
knowledge? Why! if they ever come to New 
York they’ll surely give the slow natives of Long 
Island a run for their money.” 

But for all Sam’s pleasure in their pleasure, he 
did wish that they wouldn’t speak quite so loud. 

Seven o’clock they all agreed would be a suitable 
hour to reach Hull. So, as the afternoon was 
nearly over, it seemed well to come about and run 
for Boston Light and the bay. The breeze now 
was a good fourteen-knot one, and they could 
make Hull Wharf easily by seven. The bow of 
the “ Odin ” was turned towards the northeast 
and her starboard side dipped into the greenish- 
white sea. 

Some boats sail better on one tack than on 
another; but the “ Odin,” a model of perfect turn¬ 
ing, did just as well on the starboard tack as she 


Hull Still Has Its Attractions 129 


did on the port. In a few minutes, therefore, 
there was the same enthusiasm as before. 

During the run out to Minot’s, Elsie had been 
unusually quiet. She said little to Sam and spoke 
only occasionally to her father. But now her 
quietness left her and she became the life of the 
party. In that small standing-room and cabin 
she went from one to the other, and everywhere 
she left a trail of laughter, in which was mingled 
her own musical voice. Though Sam was giving 
his full attention to the sailing of his boat all the 
while he was straining his ears to catch Elsie’s 
trill. Years-afterwards, he could never recall this 
wonderful day of his — the first of those many 
days which altogether made it possible for him and 
Si to go to Harvard — without hearing, again 
and again, the thrush-like sweetness of Elsie’s 
laughter. 

Finally the moment came for Elsie to have a 
word with him. “ I know that you don’t want 
any One bothering you while you are sailing the 
‘ Odin,’ ” she began, “ but I must know this, Is 

your arm troubling you? ” 

“Oh! Thank you, Miss Cotting, I haven’t 
once thought of my arm. It’s doing finely, and 


130 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


there is really no need of my hanging it in this 
way ” and he made a movement as if he would pull 
it out of its sling. 

Thereupon Elsie made a quick movement, and 
checked him with these words, “ Oh, yes there is! 
and Dr. Winsor has told me so. Don’t dare to 
take it out of that sling. Promise me you won’t 
until he gives the word, — please,” and she looked 
at him firmly. 

And Salm quickly replied, “ Well! of course I 
won’t if you say so. If I must, I must! ” 

Then Miss Cotting turned away, and he could 
think of what he liked on the run back to Boston 
Light. 

From Boston Light to Hull it was a close- 
hauled beat and nearly the whole way the “ Odin ” 
was sailing with something of a slant to her deck. 
But Si and Tim were handling the sail perfectly 
and as the heavier blows would hit her they would 
ease the sail in the nicest way. In such manner 
they went along without putting in a single reef, 
as they proposed to the ladies to do if they thought 
that she was heeling too much. But no one would 
listen to such a thing. They had every confidence 
in the Captain, his crew, and their boat. So the 


Hull Still Has Its Attractions 131 


11 Odin ” was allowed to keep up her tremendous 
pace. 

When they rounded Point Allerton, and were 
nearing Hull Gut, there was the pilot boat “ Nep¬ 
tune ” at anchor, and Captain Mellock, smoking a 
pipe on deck. As the “ Odin ” passed the Nep¬ 
tune’s ” stern there was a flash and a report from 
the small brass cannon, and the “ Neptune’s ” 
flag was run up the head in salute. Then Tim, like 
an eel, glided into the “ Odin’s ” cabin, squirmed 
forward to the forecastle and gave three good 
rings on the bell. At which everybody on the 
yacht cheered and Captain Mellock stood up, took 
the pipe out of his mouth and doffed his cap. 
Then every man aboard the “ Odin ” doffed his 
cap and waved it frantically. 

“ The Captain’s always on his crumpet,” re¬ 
marked Tim to Si. 

And that worthy replied, “ The old sea-dog is 
always right-O.” 

The sun was just reaching the horizon line and 
throwing out his last gleams as they reached the 
Gut. He certainly had done his good part in giv¬ 
ing them this perfect day, and he gave promise to 
do just as well for them on the morrow. Already 


132 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


he was throwing up rosy tints of color on thin 
streamers of cloud, and forming about them lakes 
of gold. 

While going through the Gut, Peddock’s Island 
hid his descending glory from them, but when they 
got to the club wharf there he was throwing up 
orange and crimson search-lights until the west 
was in a blaze of fire. Then while they watched, 
the conflagration spread in all directions until 
there was not a floating cloud, not an inch of blue, 
in that part of the heavens, that did not catch the 
fire; and even on the faces of the watchers there 
was the same gleaming reflection. 

“ You certainly are giving us the most glorious 
send-off, possible,” said Mrs. Godfrey to Sam, as 
she bade him good-bye. “ I shall never forget this 
day — and I doubt if anyone else of this party 
will,” and she smiled upon all. Following Mrs. 
Godfrey’s lead, naturally every one voiced his or 
her pleasure. Elsie did not say much but the 
light in her eyes when she looked at Sam might 
have said a good deal. They were all ready to 
agree that they must go on the “ Odin ” whenever 
she came into port. All of which was gratifying 
to Tim and Si and Sam. 


Hull Still Has Its Attractions 133 


When Mr. Whipple said good-bye, he added, 
that he had not known that the sea could be so 
captivating, and that his one experience had 
made a sailor of him for life, his one idea being now 
to ship on some brig for the rest of his days. 
He was profuse in his thanks to Sam for giving 
him such valuable information, and continued, 
“ If you ever deign to visit such a wicked 
place as St. Louis, don’t fail to look me up. If 
you get there perhaps I can give ybu a pointer or 
two.” For which friendly invitation Sam gave 
him warm thanks. 

Mr. Cotting cordially gave the boys a chance 
to call upon him and his family by remarking, 
“ Now, I don’t want you three young fellows to 
forget us. You have given Elsie and me a real 
treat, and we are very much interested in your 
project. Don’t forget that the latch-string is 
always out. I want Mrs. Cotting to know you 
too. And ” — turning to Si, “ we have not had 
our talk out yet, you know; you must let me 
advise you with regard to your profession and 
plans.” This friendly speech greatly pleased the 
boys, and they showed it in their faces, as well as 
in their words. Si was especially set up by this 


134 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


show of Mr. Cotting’s regard, and when Elsie 
added, “ We shall be anxious if we don’t hear from 
you,” Sam’s day was complete. Good-byes were 
said again, hats were taken off, hands waved, and 
the great day was over. 

That night the boys were all somewhat restless. 
The day had been so full of mild excitement — 
and, though they did not know it, each had worked 
so hard a^nd long that it was some time before they 
could calm down and get to sleep. When silence 
reigned for a few moments, it would be sure to be 
broken by some one of them remarking on some 
episode of the day, or upon one of their new-found 
friends: and this reminder of their first day as 
steerers of an excursion — with w;hich their future 
success in life seemed bound — kept their minds 
in a state of activity. At last Tim remarked, 
“ Fellows, this will never do, the one who speaks 
first after this will be fined.” 

This appeal to their pocketbooks acted as a 
deterrent for about five minutes, and then Si 
forgot himself, and enthusiastically called out, 
' Say isn’t Mr. Cotting corking? ” 

“ Fine, one dollar! ” was Tim’s answer. And 
that was the last word spoken that night. 


Hull Still Has Its Attractions 135 


The sun rose the next morning and filtered its 
rays into the cabin of the “ Odin ” by five o’clock, 
but silence reigned there, and that silence was not 
broken until a quarter of seven, when a big yawn 
from Si started the day. Saturday morning! 
and another day of splendor. Immediately Tim 
and Si were out of the cabin in their bathing suits 
for a plunge in the sea; and this soon took all the 
kinks out of them. 

“ It’s bully,” said Tim, as he and Si stood 
puffing and rubbing themselves down. 

“ Now, what shall we do, get on to Plymouth, 
or stay where we are for the day? ” questioned 
Sam. 

“ I vote for staying around Hull,” put in Si. 
“ I want Dr. Winsor to have a look at your arm, 
Sam, and if we got to Plymouth we could not do 
anything until Monday. We can sail there to- 
mo t rrow, if we want to. We’ve got a lot otf things 
to do: We ought to write home, each of us, get in 
some fresh provisions, and if you fellows feel as 
I do, I should like to call on the Cottings before 
we go.” 

“ Hear, hear! ” was heard from the garrulous 
Tim, while Sam remained silent. 


136 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


“ What do you say, Sam? ” 

“ I’m willing,” answered back the sly Sam. 

So the matter was settled. It was thought well, 
however, as they were not going to push on at 
once, to get one of their checks cashed ashore, sail 
over to “ Quarantine Rocks,” find out how 
“ Portuguese Joe ” was getting on, and make him 
happy with the $11.16 due him for his share in the 
lobsters. When they reached Joe’s shanty, they 
found the old Portuguese so much better that he 
was able to dance a hobbly horn-pipe for them. 
He was delighted with his money and said, “ Dey 
was jus’ tree fine gentlemen.” He wanted to 
know if “ Salm, had broken his arm to square 
accounts for helpin’ heem? ” " No” answered 

Sam, “ I did it, just to keep people guessing.” 

“ Well! ” put in Joe, “ I guess you no fool, and 
I guess no one guess d'at.” 

Here the matter ended, so far as Sam was con¬ 
cerned. Joe was not satisfied to let the boys go, 
until he had heaped a lot of freshly boiled lobsters 
on them. They compromised on six — two apiece 
— before he would be satisfied. “ You come to 
see me, when you get back from dat cruise. I 
look for you,” were his parting words; and the 


Hull Still Has Its Attractions 137 


old fisherman watched the “ Odin ” until she was 
out of sight. 

When they got baick to Hull, and had anchored 
in the little bay, there was ample time to write 
their letters before dinner. Each lad wrote to his 
mother and brought his happenings up to date. 
Each wrote to forward letters to Hull until further 
notice. Then Tim and Si got the dinner, and 
Sam, because of his arm, played the loafer. 

By two o’clock Sam had seen Dr. Winsor who 
pronounced his shoulder and arm as doing well, 
but gave orders that the arm should remain in its 
sling until the following Wednesday. After his 
visit to the Doctor, Sam saw George Tyler who was 
made garrulous with the 25% commission agreed 
upon. George had a glowing tale to tell of yester¬ 
day’s outing and of those who were on the outing 
failing in love with the “ Odin and he added, 
poking Sam in the ribs, of liking “ just a bit its 
blooming crew! ” So these two young fellows 
beamed upon each other. 

About four-thirty o’clock, that same afternoon, 
Tim, Si and Sam, as slick as fashion plates, stepped 
ashore and made for the home of Mr. and Mrs. 
Cotting. Mrs. Cotting received them in the most 


138 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


cordial way. She was so blooming and vivacious 
that she seemed to her guests a young woman of 
perhaps thirty, and almost as much interested in 
their hopes and projects as they themselves. She 
had great skill in drawing them out, and in five 
minutes the four of them were talking and laugh¬ 
ing like old friends. Soon Elsie came in, and then 
Mr. Cotting. The conversation became general. 
Then Mr. Cotting got hold of Si and they went out 
on the broad piazza for their promised talk. 

Mrs. Cotting became intimate with Tim, and 
Elsie and Sam were left to themselves. Elsie took 
up the conversation where she had broken it off 
yesterday, concerning her cousin Betty. Elsie 
had already written Betty telling her about the 
trip and the boys and of her wish that they should 
call on her when they got to Plymouth. 

Sam thought that he had been there only a few 
minutes, when to his consternation he heard a 
church clock ring out six o’clock. Rearing this 
he got up, with a start, remarking that he must 
take his two chums off. 

“ You must stay for supper ” he heard Elsie 
say. I am sure mother would like you to. We 
have only an informal meal and it will not put us 


Hull Still Has Its Attractions 139 


out at all. My friends, the Langdons, have not 
returned from their afternoon’s outing, and you 
must stay to see them.” So what could poor 
Sam do but submit. When Mrs. Cotting came 
in she took the matter quite as settled. Si was 
still in conversation with Mr. Cotting, and Tim, 
communing with himself, thought that a stay on 
with the Cottings was a most sensible arrange¬ 
ment. 

The Langdon girls arrived soon after, and supper 
was immediately announced. Vivian Langdon, 
the elder of the two sisters, was a bright-eyed 
merry girl, who could set off a story with embel¬ 
lishments. To hear her tell of their experiences 
of the afternoon at Nantasket Beach was really 
funny. She made everything appear in a new 
light, and her imitations and caricatures were 
irresistible. 

The supper meanwhile was progressing, and 
they had reached the dessert, when Tim, with his 
interest in the evidence of fine culinary art, 
inquired “ how this particular delectable dish 
was made? ” 

Thereupon Mrs. Cotting related a remarkable 
bit of family history. “ Years ago,” she said, 


140 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


“ when I was younger than anybody here, my 
dear mother had a birthday; and this birthday, 
she casually discovered, fell on the same day as 
that of a famous New England poet. This poet, 
who was also a professor in the Harvard Medical 
School, as well as one of the autocrats of our coun¬ 
try, lived on Charles Street, Boston, near where 
we lived in Louisburg Square. So my mother 
took it into her head to call on this poet on their 
common birthday. She made her call in the late 
afternoon. The poet made her feel very welcome, 
saying to her, “ You have come in time to help 
me enjoy my favorite dish — a dish which is 
invariably served to me on my birthday, and as 
this is your birthday, too, you must have it with 
me.” Of course my mother was at first a bit 
dismayed at this, but being urged to remain so 
cordially by this dear, old doctor, she took it all 
in good part and stayed. Soon a tray was brought 
in containing tea, and cake, and a fruit salad 
similar to that we are now eating. And then the 
formula for making it was given her by the dear 
man. It goes like this: Have bananas thoroughly 
ripe, peel the bananas and scrape away the coating 
of the fruit. Have a glass dish ready, and cut 


Hull Still Has Its Attractions 141 


your scraped bananas across in small sections. 
On each layer of cut fruit, squeeze fresh lemon 
juice and sprinkle over all a good coating of 
granulated sugar. Put one layer of fruit on the 
other, and treat each layer with lemon juice and 
sugar. Then put the dish away for thirty minutes 
near the ice, and serve. It’s as simple to pre¬ 
pare as that,” continued Mrs. Cotting, “ but when 
it is done right it makes one of the most delicious 
of fruit salads. In fact I do not know of any¬ 
thing that can surpass it — that is, if you want 
some favorable comments from your guests.” 
“ I am delighted,” she remarked turning to 
Tim, “ that you like what our poet likes, and I 
hope that in every direction you will follow in his 
footsteps.” To this pretty speech Tim replied 
“ that when it came to bananas, he guessed he 
would not slip up on them, but when he came to 
poetry,” he was just about to say “ good-night! ” 
when he thought better of it and remarked, 
instead, “ he’d leave such things to Sam and Si.” 

What with the conversation and the meal the 
clock had already rung seven, and yet they still 
lingered at the table. The boys stayed fifteen 
minutes longer, and then one of them remarked, 


142 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


“ that they must get back to the ‘ Odin ’ before 
dark.” So they said their good-byes, and told 
their friends what a happy time they had had. 
Sam said to Mr. and Mrs. Cotting that when 
they got back to Hull, at the end of August, they 
must give him the pleasure of a day’s run on the 
yacht. 

“ Send us your log, once in a while,” sang out 
Mr. Cotting after him. 

“We are much interested in this cruise of yours. 
We wish you all the best of luck. Now don’t 
forget us! ” 

“No fear of that! ” they answered back in 
chorus. 

“ Say,” remarked Tim, when they had got out 
of hearing of the house, “ Haven’t we had a bully 
good time, and aren’t the Cottings just ripping? ” 

“ They are the finest of the fine,” chimed in Si. 

Sam said nothing but his two pals knew that he 
was just as enthusiastic over their new friends as 
they were. 


CHAPTER IX 
WHAT HAPPENED TO SI 

Sunday morning dawned with a sunrise which 
none of the yachtsmen saw, but which a pair of 
eyes, looking from the windows of a little Vermont 
house, felt the beauty of. As Mrs. Virs lay awake 
that Saturday night thinking how her boy was 
getting on with his long cruise, she saw the dawn 
of Sunday morning first come to the hills, and then 
to the trees, and then to her own chamber among 
the Green Mountains. She was not a worrying 
body, generally, but when she began to think of 
Sam and of his possible dangers, she found it much 
easier to lie awake than to slumber. So it is with 
mothers, day and night their hearts and thoughts 
and longings are for us. 

But Sam was safe, and all — save his injured 
arm — was well. It was a good seven o clock 
when he turned over in his bunk for his last 
stretch. Then he yawned once more and opened 
his gray eyes. As he did so he found Tim s brown 


144 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


ones looking into his, and heard his merry saluta¬ 
tion, “ Hello! old chap, how goes it? ” 

“ I guess it’s time to get up Tim ”; and Sam 
leaped out of bed. 

Then they heard from Si, “ What’s all this 
blooming noise about? ” 

“ Get up, you old sleepy head! The sea is as 
calm as a mill-pond. Tim and I are waiting for 
you just long enough for you to pull yourself 
together.” At that moment was heard one of 
Tim’s porpoise-like splashes. Immediately Sam 
and Si got a hustle on and joined him — though 
there was no flopping for poor Sam! So they 
started the Sunday morning. 

Sam was for going to Plymouth directly after 
breakfast, but Si and Tim put in their objections. 

“ You’ve got to give that arm of yours a proper 
rest,” was what he received from them. “ To¬ 
morrow we are with you, but not today.” And 
Sam could not move them from their stubborn¬ 
ness. 

It was Sunday morning, so Tim and Si decided 
to go to church. Sam wanted to go too, but with 
his arm in a sling and the notoriety attached to 
him in connection with his stopping the runaway, 


i 


What Happened to Si 


145 


he decided to remain on shore. He would skirt 
Hull Hill, he said, and return with them later to 
the “ Odin." 

Sam started on his shore tramp. When he had 
got off Allerton Point he came across an old sea¬ 
man, a man of seventy, he judged, who in the 
bright morning light looked very much like a piece 
of human wreckage. 

Looking the weather beaten old tramp in the 
face, and giving him a friendly nod, Sam received 
the old fellow's greeting in this fashion: 

“ Hey, my lad! a fine morning, this! " 

And he replied, “ Yes! it's something of a 

day." 

u Do yer see that black and white shaft of stone 
stickin' out of the water — I mean that granite 
beacon painted like a barber's pole on that sand¬ 
bar, yonder! " and the tramp pointed a dirty 
finger in the direction of a small pyramid of stone. 

“ Oh! you mean Nix's Mate? " answered Sam. 

“ Yes that's what I understand they calls it here¬ 
abouts. But 'long in the sixties me an' my mates 
got hung up on that bar in a storm, and three on 
'em got drowned. Yes we did, an' it s many a 
year since my peepers has looked on that goldarned 


146 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


dirty spot. Since those days some more poor 
sea-dogs has gone under, I suppose, an’ that’s 
why they have put up that beacon — a kind of a 
signal o’ danger, I guess. 

“ It war a day in November — an’ I remember 
it just the same as it war yesterday — the bark 
‘ Mary Pollock ’ war a cornin’ up to Boston from 
Valparaiso, with all sail set, an’ all a drawin’ so 
she buried her main-mast in the sea at times, and 
she had on her a mixed cargo — an’ a good many 
skins of leather. Well! fifty miles off Boston 
Light, a nor’easter struck us wi’ a blindin’ snow¬ 
storm an’ a full gale. It shivered our timbers an’ 
drove us on in the direction o’ Boston like ten 
thousand devils. 

“ 01’ Cap. Slocum — as fine an’ ol’ sea-dog as 
ever took a chew, knew what he war up against, 
as soon as the storm hit us. He knew he war 
takin’ chances to drive the ‘ Mary Pollock ’ on, 
but we’d been a hundred and ten days out, an’ 
in hard luck a good deal of the time. 

“ An’ we were all anxious to git ashore. It 
meant either a drivin’ her on, or takin’ our chances 
a facin’ out at sea a sixty mile an hour gale. So 
the Cap. poked the ‘ Mary Pollock’s ’ nose for the 


What Happened to Si 


147 


land, an’ let her go. We had taken in top-sails, 
o’ course, an’ she war surgin’ on wi’ only her storm 
jib up, an’ her main-sail close reefed. But, 
even then, she war a rollin’ like a barrel, for there 
war an unusual big swell on. It war only eleven 
o’clock in the mornin’ when the gale struck us, but, 
it war as dark, almos’ as night, an’ yer could 
hardly see the length of the ship. Every man of 
us felt a creepy feelin’ for we knew what it might 
mean to get caught wi’ a wind like this a drivin 
us on to the land. But, as I afore said, we wanted 
to get to harbor. We must a been goin’ at twenty 
miles an hour—o’ course, young fellow, if yer know 
aught o’ sailin’ yer know that’s a goin’ some — 
but, what I mean to say is, that the ‘ Mary Pol¬ 
lock ’ never went as fast in her life afore, and at 
her best she war something of a goer. But it war 
so dark that when we sighted Boston Light she 
war alight; an’ that war a God-send to us. Cap. 
Slocum knew Boston Harbor pretty well an’ his 
chart showed him how near to the light the 
channel lay. He nosed her a beautifully be¬ 
tween the light an’ the land, an we ploughed 
through the channel in grand style. After we 
passed the light we thought all were safe an we 


148 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


were slappin' each other on the backs, and lickin' 
our tongues at the thought of the good times we 
should have ashore, when we sighted a clipper ship 
right in our way an' a makin' ready to cast anchor. 
This sight of her in the snow-storm queered our 
reckonin' a bit, an' the captain fetched her too 
far to the shore in order to bring her up into 
the wind; for yer see we were a runnin' free right 
afore the wind. That runnin' towards the shore 
did the business for us: for just as the ‘ Mary 
Pollock ' war a cornin' beautiful round into the 
wind, we felt a shock that threw most on us right 
on to the deck, and three fellows who were well up 
bow, a standin' to run down the jib an' to drop 
anchor, were tossed right over the rail an' into the 
sea. They must all a’ been stunned by the throw, 
for all on 'em were good swimmers, but not one on 
'em did we ever see agin — an’ one on 'em," said 
the old chap, with a quaver in his voice, “ were a 
ship-mate o' mine, as had sworn to stan' true. 
Yer see! we were only youngsters in those days, 
an' it hits pretty hard to lose yer bes' chum." 

“ Say! I'm sorry for you!" said Sam, as he put a 
hand sympathetically, on the old fellow's shoulder. 
“ I have a little boat of my own, and two as loyal 


What Happened to Si 


149 


friends aboard, as ever a fellow had, and it would 
hit me pretty hard if anything should come amiss 
to either of them. I understand just how you 
feel and I kiiow you have never got over it.” 

“ Yes! ” said the queer old chap, “ I’ve never 
got over it — an’ never shall! 

“ I’ve seen a good deal of sea-life in the fifty 
year an’ more, since that goldarned day, but I’ve 
never seen a pal like the one I’d lost. 

“ There’s some changes about this here harbor 
since I were a lad,” he added, “ I’ve been a watch- 
in’ some of yer harbor boats agin wi’ decks 
crowded an’ I guess there’s somthin’ doin’ along 
the seashore these days! ” 

After some pleasantries on both sides Sam took 
his departure, and left the poor old sea-dog seated 
on a rock gazing out to sea. 

By the time Sam got back to the tender, Tim 
an,d Si were coming along the road. Si rowed to 
the “ Odin,” and Tim got the Sunday dinner. 

In the afternoon they took a sail, and after 
supper, went to bed with the intention of getting 
up early the next morning, and starting for Ply¬ 
mouth, some thirty miles away. 

Monday morning broke warm and hazy and 


150 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


with very little wind. They would have left by 
six if the wind had been favorable, but at that hour 
there was scarcely breeze enough to straighten out 
their pennant. So they decided to wait until 
seven, and then to make the start if all was favor¬ 
able. But by seven the conditions had not 
improved. 

“ No wind; and here we have got to work out 
of Hull Gut, with the tide coming in — and that’s 
no joke ” — added Tim, with a tone of dis¬ 
appointment in his voice. 

“ Well! let us get a move on, ourselves; perhaps 
things will improve,” said Sam. “ We’ll take the 
bitter with the sweet, with no kick coming. 
Cast off, Tim, the ‘ Odin ’ will get us through the 
Gut, if it’s at all possible.” 

But even the “ Odin ” had all she could do to 
get through against the incoming tide. It was nip 
and tuck and, while they seemed to be sailing a 
little from points along “ Peddocks,” it was soon 
seen that the “ Odin ” was not making much 
headway. 

Now, Hull Gut is one of the ticklish places in the 
harbor for a yacht whose power is that supplied 
by the wind. In the first place the waters, from 


What Happened to Si 


151 


the turn of the tide until half tide, go through 
with terrific force and in light winds it is difficult 
to keep one’s bow where it belongs. 

But that would not be so bad, if it were not for 
the Nantasket steamers. Ploughing as they do 
through the Gut, swishing the waters, and giving 
every yachtsman a fear that he may be run down, 
they make most sailors glad to get out of their way. 
The tide was now a little over half in and the 
“ Odin ” had been a good hour trying to get out 
of that eighth mile of swirl, and was not yet free 
of it. But all things at last come to an end; still 
it was nine o’clock before the boys turned their 
bows toward Boston Light and the open sea. 
Another two hours had passed before they had got 
clear of the Light, and then the tide had turned, 
and things were better: but, not for long, for 
they had now to go due southeast, and then, south¬ 
east by south, and while the out-going tide helped 
them out to sea, it did not help them any in the 
direction of Plymouth. 

In fact, it was the other way: the tide was still 
against them. The wind was very light; and 
sometimes there was none at all. It would come 
from the southwest in lazy puffs, and just as the 


152 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


“ Odin ” was getting under-way would die out 
again. 

At twelve they ate something, while the 
“ Odin’s ” sail flapped as she went lazily along. 
By two o’clock there was no improvement, it was 
a hot, hazy, sultry July day. As they were thus 
floating along three or four miles from shore, and 
abreast of Minot’s they saw great schools of 
mackerel, moving in all directions, while the fish, 
here and there, were jumping out of the water, very 
much frightened. 

“ Something big chasing them, to act in that 
way,” remarked Si. 

“ I believe I’ll take the tender and see what’s 
up. Perhaps, I’ll take the ganged line along; I 
might get a few mackerel by trolling. If a breeze 
comes along pick me up; if not, I’ll pick you up; 
and that’s something that can’t be done every 
day with the 1 Odin,’ ” — he added, with a 
smile. 

An eighth of a mile away the mackerel were 
fairly crazy with fright, and when Si had pulled 
among them, they were jumping three and four 
feet into the air, and some even went clean over 
his boat. 


What Happened to Si 


153 


Suddenly something happened — something 
which, perhaps, had never happened to a boy 
before. Sam and Tim from the “ Odin,” heard a 
heart-rending cry, saw Si disappear from sight, 
saw the “ Odin's ” tender dip at her bows into the 
ocean, zig-zag — first this way, and then that, 
and then go out to sea buried in foam, at a speed, 
they judged, of a mile a minute. 

In a few minutes it appeared to their crazed 
sight as if the boat were a couple of miles away, 
and then it would move in great circles — not so 
fast as at first, but still at a frightful pace — and 
they could not tell whether Si were in the boat, or 
out of the boat, whether alive or dead. 

Si was in danger, and there they were drifting 
and helpless in the “ Odin,” a mile or two away! 

“ Oh! for a breath of wind! ” murmured Tim. 

“ Get out the long oar! ” commanded Sam. 

“ We’ll do what we can with that. We must 
reach Si,” he said, with white, drawn face. 

So Sam and Tim pulled and pushed at the 
“ Odin’s ” oar, at what seemed to them an al¬ 
most hopeless task, for in trying to work along a 
boat the size of the “ Odin,” it seemed to them 
that at every stroke they were pushing against a 


154 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


thousand pound weight. But they labored as 
hard and faithfully as two friends bent on saving 
one they loved had ever done. Each pulled until 
the sweat stood out on his face, and ran down in 
tiny rivulets on neck and shirt, until the heart of 
each boy was pumping the blood through his body 
at such a pace that, unless he stopped, there was 
danger of a collapse. But he could not stop, and 
so Sam and Tim pushed, and pulled, and sweated, 
and panted, so that somehow the “ Odin ” got 
through the water. But the tender was still a 
long way off, and in their moments of respite they 
could still see the little boat going in circles and 
zig-zagging one way, and another. At last, when 
they were about giving up in despair, they saw 
the boat turn in their direction, and with new 
heart put the last ounce of strength they had into 
their strokes. Still no signs of Si! 

“ Oh! he must be lost! ” came from Tim in an 
agonized whisper. 

“ Let us push, he may still be in the boat! ” 
So they pushed until their arms were ready to drop 
out of their sockets. In his excitement Sam for¬ 
got all about his lame left arm, though at first he 
had not dared to use it, and there it was now 


What Happened to Si 


155 


throbbing, throbbing in its sling — for he must 
use his arm sling or no sling he had thought. 

Nearer and nearer came the tender towards the 
“ Odin,” harder and harder Tim and Sam fought 
at the oar; then, all of a sudden, came a joyful 
sight. Si was sitting up in the stern of the tender 
bailing out water. In less than a rrdnute Tim had 
dived into the cabin, reached for the megaphone, 
and had called out to Si, in tones which had tears 
in them: “ Hold on Si, we’ll reach you soon; 
get your clothes off and swim for it, if you have 
to. We’ll get you! ” 

With fresh courage, the gallant Tim again 
reached for the oar. 

Occasionally, little puffs of wind would shake the 
sail — little cat’s paws — which would die out 
again. But, small as the puffs were they did 
help, because the “ Odin ” was surely getting 
nearer to Si. 

Whatever had taken Si out to sea at such a 
terrific speed, had certainly lost its power for, now, 
the tender was reasonably still, except for an 
occasional rush and jerk; then all would become 
still, again. 

At last, when Sam and Tim had been nearly 


156 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


two hours at that arm-pulling oar, they did reach 
Si, and, you may be sure, when that happened 
there were three happy companions. 

“ What’s the trouble, Si? ” called out Sam, 
before he reached him. 

“ I’ll tell you when I get aboard,” but get the 
gun loaded with B. B. shot! ” 

When Si stood safe on the deck of the “ Odin,” 
he reached for the loaded gun, and said, “ Let me 
do the shooting, I want to see this thing through, 
myself.” 

Gradually they got the “ Odin’s ” port side to 
the now palpitating, lashing bow of the tender. 
Si waited a moment, took steady aim, and fired. 
At once, all was calm in the troubled waters. 
He then went up into the little forecastle of the 
“ Odin,” selected a strong coil of manilla rope, and 
passed three strong nooses under that white, 
silent thing imprisoned at the bow. 

When he had made the rope fast to the stern of 
the “ Odin,” he told his story: 

“You fellows saw me leave the “ Odin,” and 
get into that school of mackerel. Well! the 
sensation of getting among them was such as 
you fellows have felt a dozen times, when we 


What Happened to Si 


157 


have been out together mackerel-fishing. The 
only difference was, perhaps, this: I felt that 
something unusual was going on underneath me. 
The swirl was tremendous. The fish were so 

i 

frightened that they imparted, really, some of 
their fright to me. All about me they were jump¬ 
ing out of the vrater as if they were crazed. Of 
course I did not know what was troubling them, 
but judged that it must be some big fish. Just as 
I was trying to think the thing out, I felt a blow 
hit the bow of the tender, as if it had come from 
one of your batteries, Sam, in Boston Harbor, and 

mM 

it knocked me backwards — and silly, I guess, for 
in going I must have given my head ajmock^on 
the side of the boat. When I camejx), the boat 
was moving through the water at ^break-neck 
speed, the bow was almost under water, and the 
boat, itself, nearly half full. Then I got a grip 
on myself, how long afterwards I do not know, 
felt for the bailer, and began to bail for all that 
was in me. When I got the tender so that I could 
see what had been happening, I saw the sword of a 
mammoth sword-fish sticking right through the 
prow and from side to side. The fish could 
neither push the sword through farther nor pull 


158 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


it out, because of the teeth sticking out all along 
the sword. Wonder of Wonders! if there was not 
a mighty sword-fish catching itself in our bows — 
sent from heaven, as it were,” he added, with a 
twinkle, “ and waiting only for the ‘ Odin ’ to 
tow it to Boston Market. Say! we’re in great 
luck, fellows.” 

Then Sam spoke. “ Si, you don’t know how 
glad Tim and I are that you are 0. K. It was a 
long pull, and we didn’t know that we’d ever 
reach you. But, here you are, and here we are, 
and now it is all over. It begins to seem like 
sport! Still none of us, I guess, would even want 
to feel just that way again,” and his eyes sent a 
message to Si, strengthening his words. “ So long 
as it did happen, we’re glad of the fish, and we’ll 
make for Boston instead of for Plymouth.” 

“ Isn’t fate strange? ” remarked Tim. “ We’d 
planned for Plymouth, and were cursing our luck 
because we couldn’t get there, and all the while 
Providence has been directing our steps, just for 
the purpose of making us a present of a giant 
sword-fish. Say! you two moguls,” he went on, 
“ do you know that a sword-fish is worth some¬ 
thing? It’s more profitable, catching them, I tell 


What Happened to Si 


159 


you, than taking pleasure parties out for a day.” 

“ All right you old money-grubber, we’ll see ” 
was Si’s reply, “ but we haven’t got it to market 
yet, and with the present prospects,” with a look 
all about him, “ we never shall.” 

“No pessimists allowed on this here boat ” 
piped Sam, “ pull in your sheet, here comes a 
breeze.” 

A quarter of a mile off, there was a slight ripple 
on the surface of the sea, and in a few minutes it 
reached them. The air was from the southwest 
and it meant a dead beat to Boston of some 
twenty miles. But it was a breeze! and a breeze 
was all that the old “ Odin ” wanted to show them 
whether or not they would get to market! 

“ Hurrah! ” sang out the exultant Tim. “We’ll 
get there, and get our fry there as well! ” 

“ We’ll sail the ‘ Odin ’ until we do,” said Sam, 
“ even if it takes all the rest of the day and night.” 

By this time it was well along in the afternoon, 
and with this drag at the stern, the “ Odin ” 
did not show her usual speed, but she ploughed 
through the water bravely nevertheless. The 
first puff of the new wind was a good one, after 
which it settled down to only a light breeze. 


160 The Cruise of the “Odin” 


But it was steady, and Sam felt sure that he could 
do four, or five miles an hour. If they could do as 
well as five, they would reach the Atlantic Avenue 
wharves about eight o’clock. At four miles an 
hour it would be nine to ten o’clock. So they 
kept at their long tacking, in their efforts to reach 
Boston Light. 

It was fully nine o’clock when they tied up at 
the wharf. They would give Mr. Snow the first 
chance in the morning to buy their sword-fish. 
They knew him and had every confidence in his 
honesty. He had proved himself in the mackerel 
deal. 

That night they were all glad enough to turn 
in. It had been a trying day for all. In a few 
minutes after their heads touched the pillows, 
each of the three chums was fast asleep. 


CHAPTER X 


MR. SNOW GETS A SURPRISE 

The next morning, about 8.30 o’clock, a few 
minutes after he arrived from his country home, 
Mr. Snow was accosted, by a somehow familiar 
enthusiastic voice, in these words, — “ Good¬ 
morning, Mr. Snow, we on the * Odin ’ have had 
the good fortune to bring a sword-fish to port, and 
I want to sell him to you.” 

“ A sword-fish! ” exclaimed the surprised Mr. 
Snow, “ How in the world could you catch a 
sword-fish? ” 

“ Well, we really did not catch him, sir, he 
caught us.” And then Tim told the fish dealer of 
yesterday’s sensation. 

“ Well! Well! yours is a strange tale, I never 
heard of a sword-fish, before, trying to eat up a 
boat, and rushing its victim at express speed far 
out on the great deep. I have, however, heard of 
its sticking its sword through the doi^y of some 
lone fisherman, with a lightning-like thrust, and 


162 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


then pulling it out and standing at guard for 
another rapier plunge: but, I never heard before 
ol its sticking itself instead of the other fellow,” 
he adde'd, with a wink at Tim. “ But let’s have 
a look at this monster of the deep.” Then he sang 
out, “ Loji, come out to the wharf, I want you to 
hoist up a fish for me.” 

As Mr. Snow looked down on the tender below, 
suqe enough, there was a big fish floating near the 
surface, and the sword of it was sticking through 
both sides of the boat. 

“Well! Well! you boys are certainly in luck! ” 

The first thing which had to be done was to saw 
the sword off so as to free the fish from the boat. 
This done, a big hook was lowered, and two blocks 
began to creak and groan with the strain upon 
them. 

Two men were tugging at the rope, then a third 
one helped before the great fish was safely on the 
dock. 

“It is a monster,” said Mr. Snow, “ It’s the 
biggest sword-fish I have ever seen, and I’ve been 
in the fish business, now, for a quarter of a cen¬ 
tury.” 

“ Get the scales out, Lon, let’s weigh it.” 


Mr. Snow Gets a Surprise 1G3 


By this time a crowd had collected on the wharf 
to view the operations, and to learn more ol the 
strange way that the fish had been caught. 

All kinds of questions were asked of Sam, Tim, 
and Si, and they felt indeed like three heroes, with 
the applause and admiration showered upon them. 

“ By gosh! ” remarked Lon, “ If it don’t weigh 
502 pounds! ” 

“ Come into the office, and we’ll talk it out,” 
remarked Mr. Snow to Tim, “ sit down. Now, 
what do you expect for this wonderful find of 
yours? ” 

“ Oh! I don’t know, I am willing to leave the 
price to you, Mr. Snow. I know that you 11 
treat us fair,” replied the canny and tactful Tim. 

Such an answer appealed at once to Mr. Snow’s 
justice and pride. 

“ Well! I’ll be candid with you and say that 
the price of sword-fish for today is 24 cts. a pound, 
at wholesale. It is retailing for 45 cts.’ 

Tim opened his eyes pretty wide at that, and 
his heart began to flutter — 24 cts. a pound! 

“ Yes! but that is for fish cleaned and ready 
for the table. Now, this fish of yours has head, 
tail — and all the trimmings in and on,” he added 


164 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


with a smile, — “ and if they weren’t in and on I 
should not want it at any price, and with 500 odd 
pounds of sword-fish on my hands, I should have 
to take some chances of getting rid of it all. 

“ I am not worrying over that part of it — 
yet I have to consider it in offering you a price. 
Now I consider that what you boys get for your 
fish, is just clear gain, and we all ought to share 
a bit in the profits. It’s something for you to 
consider, getting an offer for the whole outfit, and 
not having the trouble of trying to sell a half to 
this one, and a quarter to that one. If I take it, 
I take it as a whole. I am telling you this, Tim, 
— Tim, isn’t it? ” and being assured that it was, 
continued, “ so that you may see it from my point 
of view as well as from your own. 

“ Now, I will make you an offer of 20 cts. a 
pound, for your fish, dead weight, — that is for 
the weight just as it is — 502 pounds.” 

This generous offer of Mr. Snow’s almost took 
the breath out of Tim, and certainly all of the 
fight out of him. Tender-hearted Tim was all 
surrender, and he showed it in his answer. 

“ Oh! Mr. Snow, you are too generous; let’s 
say 15 cts. As you say, you will have to take 


Mr. Snow Gets a Surprise 


165 


some chances, and we shall make a great haul 
at 15 cts. a pound.” 

But this reply of Tim’s only made Mr. Snow 
the more resolute. 

“ No! it is 20 cts. or nothing. The truth is,” 
said Mr. Snow, “ I am interested in you three 
boys and I want to see you succeed. But don’t 
lay it up against me that I am giving you any 
special advantage with my offer. I shall make a 
good thing out of the deal, I think, and if you are 
satisfied I am. The price is a fair one; and,” he 
added with his merry wink, “ I shouldn’t like my 
competitors to know that I’d bled you three young 
heroes.” 

“ There’s no fear of that Mr. Snow, you couldn’t 
do it, it isn’t in you; and besides,” put in Tim, 
with his wink, “ we’d soon catch on to you, if you 
tried any such game.” 

“ All right, you bulldozer — if 20 cts. a pound 
suits you, how would you like my check? ” 

“ First rate,” replied the delighted and excited 
Tim. 

But before Mr. Snow got out his check-book he 
remarked, “ Tim, my boy, I believe you are all 
right, and if ever you get thoroughly interested in 


166 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


the fish business, and want a good opening, come 
round and see me.” 

“ Thank you, sir, a thousand times,” answered 
back Tim, and his voice told Mr. Snow, plainly 
enough, how appreciative he was of this sugges¬ 
tion. 

“ There is your check, and good-luck to you! 
If you have any more such luck as you three boys 
have been having, come and see me again! ” 
And Tim read the figures on the check, $100.40! 
They certainly were staggerers. 

For a second time after a business transaction 
with those on the “ Odin,” Mr. Snow went on his 
wharf, waved his hand to them, and wished them 
a good outing and much success. And, a second 
time a certain young brazen business-like Tim, 
remarked to two of his friends, “ He’s a dandy! ” 
When Mr. Snow got out of sight, Tim hauled 
out his check, thrust it into Sam’s face, and threw 
out, “ Smoke that in your pipe! ” 

“ Whew! ” was Sam’s astonished ejaculation, 
as he passed the check on to Si. 

“ Great Scot!! how did you manage it, Tim? ” 
Then Tim gave them the whole story. 

“ You’re a Jew! ” said Si. 


Mr . Snow Gets a Surprise 167 


“ Oh, No! it was just the gameness of Mr. 
Snow that did it. Isn’t his generosity great 
fellows, $100.40!! Wow, Mamma! ” And turn¬ 
ing to Si, he remarked, “ Say you old magnet, 
Sam and I were pretty daffy, when we heard your 
cry, and saw you being rushed out to sea in that 
mad fashion, but now the play’s over and the 

i 

curtain’s rung down, believe me; I want to say, 
for my part, I’m kinder glad the play was on. 
We’ll get over the fright, all right, but to pick up 
$100 and 40 cts. right out of the briny deep sea, 
is too much for me, and can’t ever happen again 
to any one.” But Tim was talking without 
knowing the ways of fate. A bigger surprise than 
this of the sword-fish was already on the cards. 

The first thing to be done now was to have the 
sword taken out of the tender and the boat 
repaired. 

Three wharfs away was John Coombs, ship’s 
carpenter. To him they went, and in a couple of 
hours they were on their way, with a dollar out 
of pocket, but this time with a good southwest 
wind filling their canvas, and the “ Odin’s ” high 
and staunch bow pointing for Plymouth. 

It was Tuesday morning, and their ninth day out. 


168 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


“ Say! if we keep on at this rate, Rockerfeller 
’ll not be in it! ” gurgled Tim, who,.after two hours 
out, could not calm down. “ Wow! ” Si and 
Sam would hear him explode, and then they 
would look at each other in the happiest and most 
understanding way. 

“ If this breeze holds, we’ll make Plymouth by 
five or six o’clock though there is a good forty 
miles to go.” The “ Odin ” had all that was good 
for her and as the puffs would hit her she w^ould 
leap through the water like a living thing joyous 
and unrestrained. 

“ Say, Si, just how did you feel when that 
swordfish jammed you? ” interrogated Sam. 

“ Well, to be honest with you, I’m a bit woolly 
on that point—at least I can’t describe the sensa¬ 
tion. The thing happened so suddenly. There 
was I in the tender with my whole attention given 
to the mackerel. I was thinking whether they 
couldn’t be induced to have a look at my hook. 
I was working up my feelings in the direction of 
making another haul such as we made the other 
time. Then suddenly, like a flash out of the 
blue, before ever I’d had a chance to think about 
it, I felt the shock of something wild and powerful 



Mr. Snow Gets a Surprise 169 


coming against the boat. The contact knocked 
me down, and I guess silly from all that’s since 
happened. It was the strangest knock-out I’ve 
ever felt or heard of. I remember I felt as if some 
sort of wild power was behind the blow that I’d 
be pleased to get away from. Then I didn’t 
remember any more until I discovered that I was 
lying on the bottom of the boat with water swash¬ 
ing all over me. My head felt as if a savage had 
used a club on it. When I got so that I could 
think more clearly I thought I had better begin 
to bale out the boat, but then the boat was going 
through the water at a tremendous pace, first 
this way and then that way, until I thought the 
best thing to do was to hold on to something. I 
couldn’t work the business out until I caught a 
glimpse of a sword sticking through the bows. 

Then I caught on to the game.” 

“ It must have been a rotten time for you, old 
boy ” remarked Sam sympathetically. “ If only 
Tim or I had been along with you! ” 

“ I’m mighty glad you both were out of it. 
One of us was enough to get mixed up in that 

pickle,” 

Nothing unusual happened on the run now to 


170 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


Plymouth. They made it by five o’clock, and 
were lying at anchor, in easy rowing distance from 
the landing by five-thirty. It had been one of the 
quickest and most delightful trips the boys had 
ever made. 

The little bay at Plymouth is perhaps three or 
four miles long, and a mile or so wide, and one has 
to know the channels well or be hung up on the 
flats; for at low tide the water is pretty well out 
of the bay. The “ Odin ” possessed an official 
chart of Massachusetts Bay and inlets, and this 
chart gave the currents and the depth of water of 
every place. The chart had been well thumbed 
many an hour before; and after passing the 
“ Gurnet,” two pairs of eyes, at least, were glued 
continuously to its blue surface. They had 
therefore anchored in a spot where there was 
always water under the “ Odin’s ” bottom. 

Sam and Si tidied up while Tim got supper. 
It was a jolly meal, and each was ready for it; 
after a forty mile run in a stiff breeze, one needs a 
brace for the hollowness within. Tea, at such a 
time, is a comfort and each had his fill. 

After supper they all wanted to go ashore. 
Stretching one’s legs after an all da"y on a boat is 


Mr. Snow Gets a Surprise 


171 


something of a necessity and the three felt the 
need of a stroll. Then there were the prelimi¬ 
naries to be entered into in order to work up some 
sailing parties. It was too late in the day to do 
much in the way of preparation, still something 
could be done to make a start. The three yachts¬ 
men first called upon some of the hotel proprietors, 
to acquaint them with the proposed plan of staying 
in Plymouth, and of the “ Odin’s ” being available 
for sailing parties. It helped a bit, Sam thought, 
just to mention that the “ Odin ” was the fastest 
yacht of her size in Quincy Bay— perhaps in 
Massachusetts Bay. 

The boys had planned for tomorrow to get some 
placards printed, to distribute them thoroughly, 
and, by word of mouth and, in any other way, to 
let it be known that the “ Odin ” was in Plymouth 
Bay to do business. For this advertising they 
meant to try to get in touch with an earnest, 
hustling, young fellow, who lived in Plymouth 
and who would enter cordially into their plans 
“ a sort of advance agent,” as Tim facetiously 
remarked. 

The next morning they saw their printer, but 
the best he could do to get out their work was for 


172 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


Thursday noon. This was Wednesday. But the 
time of waiting could profitably be spent in talking 
to hotel and boarding house keepers, in getting 
acquainted with the people and the town, and 
baiting their traps. 

On Thursday morning they made the acquain¬ 
tance of a keen likable fellow, nineteen years of 
age, who was only too glad to join forces with 
them, and to act as their agent. Tom Dawson was 
a clean cut, athletic, young man, popular with the 
young people, and a hustler from start to finish. 
Sam, Tim and Si took to him at once. Dawson 
was born in Plymouth, had served on the high 
school baseball and football teams, and knew 
everybody in town. He lived with his father and 
mother in a fine old place on one of the prominent 
streets, and, while he was in no need of money, as 
much for the sport of it as for the profit, he 
agreed, for the next two or three weeks, to give 
all his time to their plans on a 25% basis. This 
meant that it would be a one-fourth share all 
round. In the cabin of the “ Odin ” on this 
Thursday morning they talked out their business 
to a finish. 

Dawson proved himself a veritable find. He 


Mr. Snow Gets a Surprise 


173 


was remarkably resourceful, hud unusual executive 
ability, and showed, before he got through with 
them, that his business capacity equalled that of 
Tim himself. 

Dawson first went to the Secretary of the 
“ Board of Trade,” and got all the information he 
could from him regarding the coming of excur¬ 
sionists, societies, organizations, etc., to Plymouth, 
during the next month. These he wrote to, 
giving the facts concerning the “ Odin,” and her 
availability for sailing parties. He saw his friends 
and talked the “ Odin ” to them. 

He worked his futher, who was a business man 
in Plymouth, and made him agree to get up a 
party of his business associates for a day. He 
went on the main streets and handed his card 
announcements right and left. In fact he left 
nothing undone that would let it be known that 
the “ Odin ” was the greatest small yacht of her 
day, and that anyone who missed the chance of 
a run in her would regret it till the last day of his 
life. His enthusiasm became infectious. Before 
Sam, Si, and Tim were prepared for an onrush, the 
“ Odin ” and her skippers became the talk of the 
town, and business in earnest was on. Already 


174 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


Dawson had the “ Odin ” engaged for Friday, and 
Saturday, and Monday. On Sundays, there were 
to be no excursions. 

On Friday the boys started in with their first 
sail with a party out of Plymouth Harbor! Fri¬ 
days were beginning to be their lucky days, for 
they remembered that it was just a week ago 
today they had gone on that never-to-be-forgotten 
run out of Hull. What a happy day it had been! 

They were leaving at nine o'clock with ten men 
on board. The plan was that each guest should 
bring his own lunch and the “ Odin ” should serve 
the coffee. 

The day was ideal for sailing. The wind blew 
steady and true from the southeast, and there is 
no steadier wind than that. 

Southeast! and with just enough of a jump on 
the sea to give a delightful buoyancy to the 
“ Odin." Everybody was in good humor, and 
ready for any thing. 

Sam, first, pointed the “ Odin ” straight out to 
sea, then he brought her about and let her lie 
towards Provincetown. Si had the sheet-rope, 
and kept her close hauled all the time. 

“ In this breeze we can make Provincetown if 


Mr. Snow Gets a Surprise 


175 


you men would like to go there,” remarked Sam, 
“ and we can run home with the wind dead 
astern.” 

“ That will suit me,” “ and me,” “ and me,” 
they all chorused. 

Just ahead of them was a three-masted schooner 
with all canvas drawing, moving through the 
water at a seemingly rapid pace; but, neverthe¬ 
less, the “ Odin ” was overhauling her. 

“ Say! Captain, you can’t pick up that 
schooner, can you? ” inquired a Mr. Josselyn of 
Sam. 

“ Time will tell,” answered the Captain, “ but 
the ‘ Odin ’ has been known to do such a thing 
before.” 

“ Well, that’s a new kind of dope for me. I 
never heard of a cat-boat showing the stern to an 
eight hundred ton schooner,” protested Josselyn. 

11 It does look wiggly,” agreed Sam. 

But the “ Odin ” was overhauling the schooner 
and, in half an hour had passed her with a full 
white sail and colors flying. Then the “ Odin’s ” 
company broke into cheers and began asking 
excited questions about the yacht’s speed and build 
and the prizes she had won. It was history 


176 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


repeating itself. The “ Odin ” would call atten¬ 
tion to herself and create enthusiastic admirers! 
But in this game of strained statement the men 
could get little out of Sam. The blowing would 
have to be left to someone else. And when it 
came to talking about the “ Odin ” and her 
prowess, believe me, nothing suited Si and Tim 
more than that. The “ Odin ” called out not only 
their loyalty, but their eloquence. Even the 
ordinarily silent Si would become quite garrulous 
on such a theme. It did not therefore take a 
long time before the newcomers had heard all 
about the “ Odin ”as a boat and the captain as a 
skipper. 

“ Shut up, you two fellows! Stow away the 
yarn! ” Sam in desperation threw out. “ Say, 
fellows, my crew’s just jollying you! If they say 
another word I’ll throttle them both. There’s 
nothing to it.” 

But there was something to it, and Sam’s 
explanations did very little good, for the fishermen 
would have all the story, and by the time they 
reached Plymouth Si and Tim had them all fed 
up. They soon learned that they were sailing 
on the smartest bit of yacht afloat, and this 


Mr. Snow Gets a Surprise 177 


knowledge made them feel that they were having 
the time of their lives. 

As the “ Odin ” was nearing port, Josselyn 
turned to Sam and said, “ Now what will you take 
for her? I’ll give you your own price, blest if I 
won’t. 

“I’m simply daffy about her. I’d like to own 
her, sail her in these waters, and show some of 
these crabs what a first-class yacht is.” 

But Sam’s reply took ail the sport out of Mr. 
Josselyn. “ Thank you,” he said, “ I appreciate 
your offer. But I wouldn’t sell the ‘ Odin ’ for 
any price. To tell you the truth I don’t suppose 
there is money enough anywhere to buy her. 
You see, Mr. Josselyn a fellow couldn’t sell a 
member of his family. That’s the way I feel about 
my boat. She’s a member of my family, and I 
guess she’ll have to stay with me and my mother 
awhile yet,” and as Sam said these words he looked 
Mr. Josselyn in the eye in the manliest way which 
brought a hand-shake and these words from his 
new friend: 

“ Say, you’ve given me a new understanding of 
your character, and the way a fellow ought to feel 
about his boat. I respect your sentiment, and it 


178 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


gives me pleasure to say it. Your father built 
her. She’s a miracle, and lives up to her builder’s 
ideal. But if ever the time comes when you want 
to sell her don’t forget that Joshua Josselyn is your 
man. If she were mine I’d be just about as proud 
of her as you are, and don’t you forget it.” 

“ Thanks! I’ll remember,” smiled Sam. 

When they got back to Plymouth there was 
Dawson on the wharf waiting to hear the men talk 
of their greatest of days. After the good-byes 
were said, Sam asked Tom to stay on board and 
have supper. He consented as it gave him his 
opportunity to talk of Saturday’s plans. 

Two outings had been arranged for the next 
day: one for a fishing trip; the other for a sail. 

It had been reported in Plymouth that five 
miles to the south the blue-fish had struck in and 
good catches had been made during the last 
two days. The fellows everywhere were crazy to 
try for blue-fish, and Dawson had half a dozen of 
his friends eager for the combat. Each fellow 
would bring his own trolling lines and bait, so that 
there was nothing for the captain and crew to do 
but sail the “ Odin ” up and down the coast. 
“ It’s a cinch ” said Dawson, with eager face, 


Mr. Snow Gets a Surprise 


179 


“ each fellow offers to pay $2.50 from seven to 
twelve. Then for the afternoon I’ve got twelve 
young people who want a sail, and twelve dollars 
for that, a dollar a head.” 

The layout suited the others from keelson to 
peek, and they told him so. 

“ And of course you’ll go, Dawson? Nothing 
would suit us like that,” said Sam. “ You’ve 
been working like a beaver, or rather like a brick¬ 
layer and you’re a part of the crew, every time,” 
and the way Sam looked at Tom, he knew that 
Sam meant it. 

“ I’d like to go, that’s sure,” answered Tom 
with pleasure. 


CHAPTER XI 


THE FASCINATING BETTY 

Exactly at seven the next morning Tom Dawson 
was on the dock with his friends. After an 
introduction all round, the party got off. 

The wind was light but enough to keep the 
“ Odin ” moving at five miles an hour, just the 
right speed to keep the lines taut for the bluefish. 
This was Tim’s first experience at this sport and 
he was keen on every move the men made. It 
was a surprise to him the sort of bait they used and 
the way they put it on their hooks. Tim tried 
to show that he was not altogether green, but he 
gave himself fully away with his surprised excla¬ 
mation, “ eel skins! ” 

“Yes that’s what we use in these parts, and 
with the blue inner side showing out,” explained 
a decent young fellow by the name of Cook. 
“ There’s a lot in wrapping the eel-skin on right, 
which a lot of fellows don’t catch on to. An old 
duffer — who knew how to fish, just the same, — 


The Fascinating Betty 


181 


taught me the trick. What you want to do, is to 
wrap the shank of your hook well with the skin, 
bury your hook in a double fold, and leave about 
four or five inches of the skin dangling and flapping 
in the water. If there’s any fish within a mile of 
that tempting bait you are sure to draw it to you,” 
finished Cook. 

“ Much obliged,” answered Tim, “ I’m on to the 
game! ” 

Three miles out of Plymouth Bay, they got 
their first strike. Stallings felt the tug; but, in 
his excitement he pulled in his line too quickly and 
in too jerky a fashion, and lost his fish. But the 
fact that the bluefish were around and taking 
notice set them all on edge. In another five 
minutes Cook had his fish well hooked and was 
pulling it in, hand over hand, and steadily, as if 
he had been doing that sort of thing all the days 
of his twenty years of life. 

“ Where did you learn your art, Cook? ” asked 
Dawson. “ One would think that you were an 
old salt away off on the Grand Banks.” 

“ Dawson, let me give you a pointer. Learn 
to play the part that for the moment you are 
called upon to play. Do you catch me? ” 


182 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


“ Right you are, old tar. I’m a fisherman from 
this very moment, and don’t you forget it.” And 
with that sage remark he landed a six-pound blue- 
fish in the fish-box resting on the floor of the 
“ Odin’s ” standing-room, brought by him for 
that very purpose. Two flopping, jumping fish, 
one a five pounder, one a six pounder, were soon 
hit upon the head to put them out of their possible 
misery. Not so very bad that — and all within 
a few minutes! 

But the next strike did not arrive until they 
had been going for another half-hour. Then 
were pulled aboard three beauties the largest of 
which must have weighed close to eight pounds. 
Then every man felt the tingle of the sport. 

“ Well! this is something like it! ” remarked 
Dawson to Sam. 

“ I should have felt mightily disappointed if we 
hadn’t done something. Now, everybody will be 
satisfied, even if we don’t hook another fish. 

They were not ten miles from home, and it was 
time to work towards Plymouth. 

“ The last call! fellows,” announced Sam. 
“ Do your best on this lay off of five miles. We’ve 
got to get back! ” So every man jack pulled in 


The Fascinating Betty 


183 


his line, looked carefully at his hook, scrutinized 
his bait, threw out, and held his breath. 

When they had sailed another two miles, a 
sudden cry was heard, “ I’ve got one! ” “ I’ve 

got one! ”.— and every man kept half an eye on 
the other fellow’s line, while, at the same time, he 
took a fresh grip on his own. Then, for the space 
of five minutes, there was something doing! 
Every man jack of them got his fish, and then 
suddenly there was nothing doing. No trace of a 
strike, anywhere! But the work of the last five 
minutes had put everyone in the most extravagant 
good humour, nothing could be heard but a babel 
of voices, “ nothing but superlatives, explosives, 
and fireworks,” remarked Sam, in an aside to Si. 

“ We’ve a crazy lot, all right! ” replied Si. 

Fifteen bluefish in all! Cook got three, and 
Dawson three. Stallings got his two, and every 
other fellow one apiece. No one got skunked and 
everybody was satisfied! 

“It’s been great,” popped off Cook. “Say, 
fellows, you’ll be ready to go again, won’t you? ” 

“ You bet your eel skins, we will,” sang out 
Stallings, “ What do the rest of you say? ” And 
they all said, “just name the day! ” 


184 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


“ All right, my hearties, we’ll accommodate 
you,” put in the canny Dawson. 

It was exactly 12.15 when they tied up at the 
Plymouth Wharf. 

“ I never knew bluefish were so gamey,” Tim 
remarked to his two pals, when the others had 
gone. “ As sports, bluefish knock mackerel 
to smithereens! ” 

“ Outside of tarpon fishing, bluefishing is the 
king of sports unless one goes in for sword-fishing, 
hey, Si? ” chuckled Sam. 

“ Say, won’t we have some fun, though, tackling 
that five pounder that Dawson left for us,” broke 
in Tim, drawing in his breath with a sucking 
sound, and rolling his big, brown eyes. “ Dawson’s 
a good one, is my bet,” continued the talkative 
Tim. At this Sam bawled out, “ If, you rascal, 
you don’t get a jump on we shan’t get a bite 
before that party comes aboard.” 

“ Aye, aye, Cap! ” replied the ever willing Tim, 
as he touched in mock gravity the visor of his cap. 

By two o’clock the dinner was well out of the 
way, the “ Odin ” looking clean and trim, and the 
group of young people full of high spirits and 
laughter, were aboard and ready for anything. 


The Fascinating Betty 


185 


The three hours for everybody, including the 
“ Odin’s ” crew, proved just a jolly romp. Jokes, 
screams of laughter, stories, songs, enlivened the 
time, and when the “ Odin ” lay, again, at her 
landing, the young people were registering their 
regrets that the delightful sail was over, and 
making their plea for a repetition of the same 
thing for next Saturday afternoon. 

“ All right,” said Sam, “ I’ll speak to Dawson 
about it. He’s our manager, you know, and what 
he says, goes. He’s quite the boss of this boat; 
but I’ve no doubt that he’ll give us the word.” 

“ That’s all right! ” remarked Blackwell, “ but, 
if old Tom Dawson dares to put in his negative, 
we’ll club and quarter him and then do it some 

more.” 

“ I’ll put him on to the game, and, if he’s the 
same Dawson I think he is he will save his bacon, 
so we’ll look for you all on board the “ Odin,” 
next Saturday.” Then hands were waved, and 
good-byes said, and as the dozen of merry young 
people walked away, one impetuous girl was heard 
to exclaim, “ Aren’t they just lovely! an 
ambiguous remark which these on the Odin 
failed to understand. 


186 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


Sunday was their day of rest, and Sam, Si and 
Tim were glad of it. They had put in a strenuous 
week, and were ready for a recess. 

In the afternoon, Sam remarked, “ I’m going to 
call on Miss Phillips, Miss Cotting’s cousin Betty. 
Won’t you two fellows go along? We told the 
Cottings, you know, we’d call, and we’ll tog up and 
do our duty. What do you say? ” 

“ I’ll go,” exclaimed Si, but Tim did not seem 
so eager. 

“ Why don’t you two fellows go, and leave me, 
here? Someone ought to stay on board, or, at 
least prowl around somewhat near. You fellows 
go, and make Miss Betty’s acquaintance, and I’ll 
go the next time. Si is more interested in land¬ 
scape effects than I am, and two will get on better 
than three with her.” Neither Sam nor Si could 
shake him from his point of view. 

“ Take my respects to her, and I’ll go with you 
the next time.” 

So Sam and Si had to leave without Tim. 

The approach to the Phillips house was through 
a driveway lined with shrubbery and trees. The 
drive curved in an alluring way, which gave 
the effect of distance and size to the estate. The 


The Fascinating Betty 


187 


house was hidden from the street by tall American 
elms which now were spreading their shade over a 
green and well-clipped lawn. Here and there 
could be seen bright spots of color where flowers of 
a single vivid kind had been massed. There was 
a delightful simplicity surrounding the Phillips 
home, beautifully kept up, as it was, which 
especially took the eye of Si. 

“ I see that the Phillipses are the right kind, 
even at a glance,” he remarked to Sam. “ Things 
look as if they belonged here, grew naturally, not 
as if they had been placed. If all this suggests 
Miss Phillips’ ideas of beauty, she must be herself 

a lovely and natural girl.” 

Just then they caught sight of a garden which, 
on this unusually hot day gave them both delight. 
First, they got glimpses of waving poplars and 
of distance, of brilliant sunshine and beautiful 
shadows; then of dark green shrubbery, unclipped 
and graceful ] then the predominating sense of soft 
rich color —of yellows, and purples, and deep 
reds — and the color seemed to feed the eye with 
pleasure without stirring too much the feelings. 
The whole effect influenced the imagination 
to think of the mysteriously beautiful, rather 


188 


The Cruise of the “ Odin ” 


than to think of special things as beautiful. 

For some time they looked in the direction of this 
mysterious beauty delighted. When Si turned to 
Sam to say: “ Sam, there’s a lot of thought put in 
this. If Miss Betty planned it, she’s wonderful. 

“ In looking at it from this distance I’ve been 
trying to follow her in her thoughts, and as I 
followed her I see that she sees things as wholes 
not as parts. Everything blends with every¬ 
thing else to carry out the idea of a whole. Now 
the mind that can do that is a pretty good mind 
and, not only that, it’s pretty good art. We shall 
like her, old man. 

“ And, just think of it, she’s only about our own 
age. Didn’t Miss Cotting say she was only 
seventeen? ” 

“ I believe so,” replied Sam. “ Yes! ” he mused, 
it’s certainly ripping! ” 

When they rang the bell the maid replied to 
their inquiry, that Miss Phillips was in. She 
led them to a cool room where there were flowers, 
and books, and rugs. 

In two or three minutes Betty herself came in 
looking cool and fresh. She had just come in 
from the garden, and she still wore her white linen 


The Fascinating Betty 


189 


garden hat with a dash of soft blue on it, and a 
tailored suit of the same white linen. She greeted 
them in the most cordial way saying as she gave 
them her hand, “ Oh, I have heard all about you 
and I’d been hoping you’d call on me. My cousin 
Elsie has written, and I’m very glad to welcome 
you. But,” she said, turning a perplexed and 
captivating face to them, “ I thought that there 
were three members of your crew? ” 

“ Yes! ” spoke up Sam, “ there are, but we could 
not prevail on Tim to come with us this afternoon. 
Tim has a great sense of duty to the ‘ Odin,’ and 
he felt that one of us ought to stay aboard, or 
near. So he sent us on without him, asking us 
to leave his respects, and his hopes that he 
should have the pleasure of meeting you before 
long.” 

“ Well, I am disappointed not to greet him. 
But you must bring him soon.” 

The first impression one might get of Betty, 
as she entered the room, was that of a short person 
looking bewitchingly at you from under a pretty, 
white garden hat; and looking through you with 
two brilliant black eyes; and when she spoke, of 
mellowed violin tones; and when she moved, of 


190 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


birds and butterflies. To both of them she seemed 
the very picture of swiftness and brightness, of 
friendliness, and vivaciousness. And, withal, she 
was so unconventional and natural. Surely a 
bewitching little Betty, as her cousin Elsie had 
said. 

“ I have just come in from my garden,” Betty 
began, “ and it seems so much pleasanter out there, 
than it does in this stuffy house, shan’t we go out 
there? I’ve two or three little views I want you to 
see,” and she led them away to a spot where a tiny 
brook came tumbling down from some far away 
place beyond the willows. As it flowed towards 
them it broke foaming over a rift between granite 
rocks and fell into quietness between banks of 
forget-me-nots and ferns. Then at the right of the 
little brook, rising some fifteen feet above the 
ground, was a rough, granite rockery built in ter¬ 
races. On each terrace were ferns of rare kinds, 
growing there as naturally as if the rockery had 
always been their home, while above the whole 
was a granite fountain spraying mist-like vapours 
over granite, and ferns and soil. Such a cool and 
restful picture on such a hot day brought out the 
immediate remark from Si, “ Oh! Miss Phillips, 


The Fascinating Betty 


191 


however did you do it; it’s a dream of beauty. 
You have produced the loveliest effect I ever saw ” 
—praise, indeed, which pleased Betty very much, 
especially as Sam added his word, “ I take my hat 
off to that. It’s fine! ” 

“ I am glad you both think so well of it. I had 
some misgivings, at first, of its working out well. 
But most of my friends like it, and it has become 
my favorite spot.” 

“ But let us go up to that rise of ground, beyond. 
I have something else to show you.” And she led 
them to the top. 

When they were there, Betty surely had a 

iniw. 

surprise for them! Before them was the self¬ 
same brook gleaming, here and there, with sun¬ 
shine, while along its sides, were cardinal flowers 
growing in splendid confusion and • making as 
brilliant a show as one can see. From the peace¬ 
ful setting of the rocks, and forget-me-nots, and 
ferns, constantly wet from the mist-spraying 
fountain, to this picture of motion and vivid color, 
was like stepping out of the twilight into the day. 
The contrast from the one to the other worked on 
the artistic imagination of Si instantly. He was 
greatly moved as he took in the new vividness, and 


192 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


his quick breathing and fixed expression told 
Betty very well how much he was moved. “ It 
is superb! ” he said, while Sam finished for him in 
this fashion, “ Miss Phillips, when my ship comes 
in may I engage you as my artist?” 

“ Perhaps,” she answered flushed with pleasure. 
“ Thank you both for being so appreciative. It is 
a real pleasure to share with one’s friends the things 
one has learned to love.” Then they retraced their 
steps and sat down in the shade of some elms, and 
in sight of the rockery. They now spoke of Hull 
and Elsie, and of the boys’ adventure in search of 
wealth. Betty was sympathetic with all their 
hopes and plans, and urged them to tell her every¬ 
thing. All too soon Sam and Si found that it was 
time to go. They had greatly overstepped the 
conventional time for a first call. But Betty still 
held them in conversation. At last she said, 
‘‘Well! if you must go. But it has been a plea¬ 
sure to meet you. I hope you will come again, 
and often, if you care to. You must meet my 
father and mother soon. 

“ It is nice of you to like my garden. Papa says 
my garden is my hobby, but I promise you I will 
not carry my hobby too far. There really are 


The Fascinating Betty 


193 


other things I am interested in besides my flowers,” 
she added with a laugh. “ If you don’t mind I’d 
like to walk with you to the entrance.” On the 
way Betty pointed out some of the difficulties she 
had met with during the two years of her working 
out her plans. 

Then good-byes were said, and Sam and Si 
went on their way. 

“ What a girl, and what a garden! ” remarked 
Si on their walk to the “ Odin.” “ We are fortu¬ 
nate enough to have seen both.” 

“ Yes! ” said Sam, “ I agree with you. Of 
course you were taken with the garden more than 
I was, because you know more about such things. 
But I could see that it was all pretty fine, and that 
a good head-piece could produce those effects. 
She must have a fine dad to give her a plaything 
like that! Won’t Tim be green with envy, when 
he hears about it? And he’ll kick himself surely 
for not coming along. He’s surely missed 
something this afternoon. Si, I’ll let you rub it 
in! ” 

“ Oh! I’ll make him squirm, before I get through 
with him. I’ll rub it in, all right. When I get 
through with him, he’ll want to buck right up and 


194 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


make his call; but it will be a well deserved 
punishment to put him off for a long time.” 

But the longer the call was put off it was not 
Tim who was the anxious one, but the beauty- 
loving Si. 


CHAPTER XII 


THE CHIEF’S HEAD FLOATING ON 

THE SEA 

During the next week at Plymouth they had 
only one free afternoon. That was on Wednesday. 
For the rest of the time Tom Dawson had done so 
well with his engagements that their time was 
wholly taken up with either bluefish, or excursions. 

For some time now the boys had wanted to run 
over to Duxbury, which was only three miles 
away. But they hadn’t had a chance. In the 
first place they wanted to get a nearer look at the 
Miles Standish Monument, which they would 
see from Captain’s Hill near the bay. Then they 
wanted to see the French-American Cable office at 
Duxbury and perhaps get a sight of the cable 
working. And, still again, they wanted to cross 
the near half mile long bridge which separates 
the river from the ocean front, and walk along the 
sands on the ocean side. So, just as soon as the 
dishes were cleared away, Sam called out,“ What’s 


196 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


the matter with our taking the afternoon and 
flitting to Duxbury? We can sail the ‘ Odin ’ on 
this tide right up to the bridge at Duxbury, and 
return in the same way. We can take in the 
monument, the cable, the ocean, and have a dandy 
stroll by our three loneliest ’ 

“ Just the ticket,’ 7 agreed Si. “We need to 
stretch our legs, or we’ll lose them. The day is 
perfect. Let’s hear your siren, Tim.” 

“ Oh! count me in, Pa ” chimed in Tim, in a 
childish pipe. 

“ Then cut your anchor chain, my hearties. 
Run your peak up! ” commanded Sam. And 
with a rush each one set himself to the right task. 

It was exactly 1.15 o’clock when the “ Odin ” 
pointed her bow to the bridge at Duxbury, and in 
a very short time they were standing at the base 
of that splendid shaft erected to the memory of 
that valiant Captain Standish of colonial fame. 

“ How would you have liked to be on the ( May¬ 
flower ’ when she sailed into Plymouth Bay, have 
been the first to step on that rock that we’ve heard 
so much about ever since our kindergarten days,” 
inquired Tim, “ or better still, how would you like 
to have been the hero Myles himself, clearing the 


Chiefs Head Floating on Water 197 


forests, making treaties with the Indians, and then 
have a monument put up to your sacred memory?’’ 

“ Well, if it’s all the same to your honor, Tim, 
I’d rather be just what I am, plain Sam Virs living 
in the year 1920, and doing the honors to the other 
fellow.” And Sam took off his cap and bowed 
solemnly to the valiant colonial captain cut out of 
granite. 

“ The same here,” added Si. “ A common, 
living Si, to a dead uncommon Myles, for mine.” 

“ That’s the dope,” remarked Tim. “ It’s all 
well enough to be dead and famous, but, say, life 
feels mighty fine to me just now, and I’d rather 
not go in for the exchange.” Then he added, 
tossing a stray lock of red hair off his forehead, 
“ I’m glad, for one, that the war is over — though 
as a kid I was wild to get into it. I did hope that 
it would last long enough for me to catch up 
but it didn’t,” he added, reflectively, with a sigh. 
u From the slant of this glorious afternoon, war 
does seem to be a clumsy business.” 

“ It’s all right to have a fight going on if it 
means the defence of one’s country,” and Tim s 
brown eyes flashed. u But it’s rotten to get up a 
fight and kill a lot of good fellows, just because 


198 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


some country wants to grab more commerce or 
more territory. And the rotten thing about a 
good deal of fighting is that the fellow who ought 
not to get licked gets licked. It’s the nation with 
the biggest band-wagon or the greatest number of 
men for cannon fodder — the nation that can 
stand the greatest amount of punishment without 
getting winded that comes off victor. It’s that 
sort of business that gets my goat,” further re¬ 
marked this brown-eyed, red-headed philosopher 
of sixteen. “No army, no navy in mine, unless 
the grand old Stars and Stripes is attacked — 
then — boys, you can count me in the game until 
there’s no one left to do the attacking ” — and 
Tim’s face got as red as his hair. “ Our boys 
licked the Germans all right, and they’ll get the 
same and more if they ever try their dirty business 
again. But the world needs peace — and peace 
we’ve got to have. It makes me tired the way the 
papers twaddle. Why some of them are even now 
trying to bat out another war.” 

“ Hear! Hear! ” broke in Sam and Si. “ Why 
we’ll have Tim spouting in Washington, the first 
thing we know.” 

“ But, of course, we’ll agree, that Myles did a 


Chiefs Head Floating on Water 199 


necessary thing in clearing the forests of the red¬ 
skins, if ever we were to have civilization in 
America. A musket was a pretty necessary thing 
in those early days, and the Puritans and Pilgrims 
were fortunate in having a few muskets — and in 
knowing how to use them,” Tim added. 

“ You and I would not have had the honor of 
looking up to the noble captain today, and of 
wishing him all good — wherever he may be at 
this moment. Another doff to his memory! ” — 
and all three saluted the statue again. 

Then they got off in the “ Odin,” and sailed to 
Duxbury, not far away. 

The first place they went to was the French 
Cable Office. “ You do the talking, Sam,” 
pleaded Tim. 

So when they got to the office, Sam put on his 
best manner, and his right foot foremost. 

“ Is the manager in? ” asked Sam, of a young 

clerk. * 

“ Yes! he is,” replied that worthy, as he looked 
Sam and the other two over with a measuring eye. 

When the manager appeared, Sam brazened it 
out. He opened his fusilade by remarking, that 
he was a friend of Tom Dawson, whose family 


200 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


knew Mr. Smith, the manager, well, and the boys 
noticed by the changed expression on Mr. Smith’s 
face that this first shot had struck. Then he went 
into the story of their two months’ cruise, saying 
that just now they were at Plymouth and anxious 
to learn something of the Cable; that they would 
appreciate anything the manager might tell them 
concerning its working. 

This interest of theirs evidently impressed Mr. 
Smith agreeably, because he thought that there 
must be something in three young fellows, cruising 
about, who were willing enough to go out of their 
way to ask questions about cabling. 

“ Oh! I’m only too glad to tell you any¬ 
thing I can,” replied the now thoroughly pleased 
manager. “ Look through this little glass case 
and see it work, will you? The operation of our 
cable is just like the regular telegraph, only 
instead of using a transmission key, and catching 
the messages by sound — as is done in so many 
offices — we get our messages written on tape. 
See that little pen in the case at work, and tracing 
all the time in ink on that tape paper. That pen 
is writing all the time, even when no messages 
are being transmitted. That tape runs by clock 


Chief’s Head Floating on Water 201 


work, and so we know the very second a message 
is received, or sent. It’s all very simple. Bat¬ 
teries supply the power, charge the cables, and so 
the messages have a continuous run-way on the 
floor of the ocean, all to themselves.” 

“ It's a wonderful contrivance, and exciting — 
for one, at least, who is a green-horn, like me ” 
Sam remarked. “ What I would especially like 
to know, Mr. Smith, is this, in how long a time, 
or rather in how short a time, could you send a 
message to France, and receive an answer? ” 

“ Well! HI try to illustrate that question for 
you, and answer it at the same time. There is 
little doing this afternoon, and I have to cable to 
Miquelon Island lying off of Newfoundland and 
some 700 miles away. I’ll cable our station there. 
Now, what I do at St. Pierre, I can do just the 
same, and about as soon, if I were cabling France. 
The time element does not figure at all, for the 
electric current moves so fast that for 700 miles, 
or for 3,000 miles, the speed is almost instantane¬ 
ous. Now, just watch that pen, all of you and see 
it do our business.” 

Mr. Smith took hold of his transmission key, 
and for, perhaps, a minute, they heard his length- 


202 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


ened, or shortened, click, click, click, — and then 
there was a short pause. Immediately the click, 
click, began again, and on the tape the boys saw 
new miniature writings, ups and downs, slants and 
curves of ink, whereupon Mr. Smith read the tale 
to them, from the sending of the manager’s mes¬ 
sage to the receiving of the reply, barely three 
minutes had been used, just long enough to per¬ 
form the manual part of the task, and in his hand 
was the answer: 

“ I understand. Will notify France. Weather 
perfect. Win,d south, southwest; sea calm whale 
spouting; sunset rose and gold. U. S. Patrol 
Steamer in harbor. All’s well.” 

“ Is there anything special you would like to 
know, while I have Martinique? inquired Mr. 
Smith of Sam, because here’s your chance.” 

“No! there is nothing, thank you. You have 
made it perfectly clear to us that cabling to any 
part of the world is only a matter of seconds, and 
I am sure that we are all satisfied. You don’t 
know how much we appreciate your kindness, Mr. 
Smith, and if we can make it up to you on the 
‘ Odin,’ sometime, we shall only be too glad to 
do it.” 


Chiefs Head Floating on Water 203 


“ That's all right. I am glad to be of service 
to you! Come and see me any time you are in 
these parts. I shall want to know if you three 
fellows get safely back to Weymouth. I shall ask 
Dawson about you." 

Then good-byes were said, and Sam and Si and 
Tim made their way out of the office and in the 
direction of the ocean front by way of the long, 
narrow bridge. 

“ That is about as interesting a thing as I have 
ever done," remarked Si, as they were making 
long strides for the ocean. “ In Myles Standish’s 
days, they didn’t know much about running across 
the ocean in a second of time." 

“ Wouldn’t it open the eyes of those old Pil¬ 
grims though to be around Plymouth in these 
days, and connect up with their friends in 
London? " 

“ What a change in less than 300 years! " 

“ We’ve changed in everything but in man," 
remarked Sam, 11 He seems to be just about as he 
was in the days of the Puritans, and long before 
their day. I never supposed that another Euro¬ 
pean war would have been possible, and yet, there 
were men as eager to cut one another s throats in 


204 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


the twentieth century as they were in the first, and 
the seventeenth. It’s all rotten about progress 
while man, himself, remains unchanged. Those 
are my sentiments, right up to date, and I don’t 
care who knows them.” 

“ You are right, old man, and I agree with 
you! When I happened to drop in at Tremont 
Temple early in June I heard a lecturer, who was 
advocating another Mexican War, say that the 
Mexicans were only half savages, and ought to be 
trained in the arts of civilization by our conquering 
them through war. But I formed a different 
opinion when I read about the horrors in Belgium 
of the Germans killing women and children, 
while giving them the jolly sight of seeing their 
houses and villages in flames, just as a taste 
of how to bring about culture. Excuse me from 
any of our civilized moderns taking the Mex¬ 
icans in hand, the Mexicans know enough 
already! ” 

“ Let’s drop it, fellows, here we’ve come to 
have a pleasant afternoon — an outmg to give us 
strength to take up our arduous duties ” — put 
in Si, with a grin. “ Let’s forget everything, but 
that we are having the time of our lives, and that 


Chiefs Head Floating on Water 205 


this day is just right to see who gets to that 
boulder sticking up on the coast, first,” — and 
with that Si started off on a sprint with Sam and 
Tim close at his heels. 

“ Si, you beat me by an inch! ” puffed Tim. 

“ We’ll call it neck and neck, I had the start of 
you,” puffed back Si. 

“ No you don’t, I believe you kept ahead, all the 
way, didn’t he, Sam?” 

“ Don’t appeal to me, you old puffer, I had all I 
could do to take care of my own end of it, without 
getting mixed up in yours.” 

“ Say, what’s that bobbing up on the water 
there?” remarked Tim — and he looked about 
him for a stick. Stepping out into the water, so 
that the tide went over his shoes, Tim poked at a 
dull greenish looking something — which he said, 
“ looked like some Fiji Islander’s skull,” and 
finally brought it ashore r Then he picked it up, 
looking it over put it to his nose, and shouted out, 
“ Holy Moses! catch! ” 

Sam caught it, looked it over carefully, and 
tucked it under his arm. 

“ What are you going to do with that, Sam? 
Toss it back again; it’s no good! 


206 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


“ Let's play football with it. Toss it back, 
Sam, and I'll kick it back into the sea! " 

But, instead of kicking it back into the sea, Sam 
took a newspaper out of his pocket, wrapped the 
Fiji Islander's head up and stuck it under his arm. 
“ Don't lug along a thing like that; drop it! " 
remonstrated Si. 

But Sam was in an obstinate mood and would 
not listen to them. “ I want it for one of our 
souvenirs of the cruise " — and that is all they 
could get out of him. 

“ Well, leave it somewhere along the beach, 
and we’ll pick it up when we come this way again, 
if we don't forget it," joked Tim. But whatever 
they said, Sam remained obdurate. 

“ Drop the subject, fellows, we are out for a 
pleasant walk to give us strength for our arduous 
duties, as Si has remarked," he reminded them. 

“ I propose to carry this old chief’s head to the 
‘ Odin,' and then, perhaps, forget all about it. 
It’s just a fancy I have to hold on to it. Now cut 
it out, fellows! who knows but that it may bring 
us added luck? " And the incident was closed 
apparently. 

It was a wonderful afternoon for a stroll, and 


Chiefs Head Floating on Water 207 


so they kept going on, surprised enough when they 
reached Green Harbor. But they could not stay 
long here, and soon turned back in the direction of 
Duxbury. Flocks of plover, peeps, and ring-necks 
flew and circled before them, their long pointed 
gray wings and light gray bodies flashing in the 
sunshine. 

“ Lift up your chests and let this ozone soak 
into them! ” commanded Captain Sam. They 
swelled out their chests and tried to see who could 
draw in the air for the longest time. Then they 
would look at each other and explode with laugh¬ 
ter. Tim’s roar might easily have been heard at 
Plymouth. 

Looking up suddenly, Tim remarked, “ There’s 
something happening along the shore as sure as 
fate. There’s a horse down, and two women 
holloing for help,” and he started on his best 
sprint with Sam and Si hard after him. When 
they reached the place where the trouble was 
they found a buggy standing with the horse that 
had been drawing it up to his girth in sand, and 
two women exclaiming, u Oh! whatever shall 
we do! ” 

Quicker than it takes to put it down, Tim was 


208 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


after help. In the distance his sharp eyes had 
seen a hut which he thought might belong to 
fishermen. 

When he reached the hut he was panting so 
hard that he couldn’t speak for a minute and two 
fishermen inside the hut looked at him as if he 
were daft. 

Then he opened up his batteries telling his story 
and asking for help. 

The fishermen found a spade, an old but 
strong spar, and best of all, some tackle, which 
they used in the winter time for pulling up boats. 
Collecting these things they were soon on their 
way to the horse. 

When they got there they found that Si and 
Sam had found a few old planks along the beach, 
evidently some that had come up on the tide, and 
these they had pried under the horse. It was seen 
that the animal was greatly exhausted and that 
he must be got out of that hole pretty soon if they 
were to save him. The women said that they had 
been driving quietly along the shore when all of 
a sudden the horse floundered in quick-sand, and 
the more he tried to get out the farther he got in. 

The men first dug a slanting hole into which 


Chiefs Head Floating on Water 209 


they put the spar to be used as a kind of derrick. 
To the end of the spar they tied the double block, 
dropped the hook on the ground, and slipped the 
spar into the hole at an acute angle. Then they 
loosened the quick-sand around the horse as best 
they could, the horse showing not the slightest 
interest in what they were doing. It was evident 
that he was very much exhausted. With a rope 
around the horse, and the hook under the rope, 
they began their experiment of derricking out the 
animal. When they first put the strain on him he 
began to grunt, showing that he was still alive, 
and when they pulled at the rope it was seen that 
inch by inch, he was sliding on to the planks and 
out of the hole. If the tackle and spar held, the 
scheme would work; but would they hold? The 
women had composed themselves, and everyone 
was holding his breath and watching the horse 
come out of the quick-sands. Inch by inch, slowly, 
slowly, the poor beast was pried to solid earth, and 
the boys set up a great shout, “ We’ve done it! 
We’ve done it! ” they chorused in glee. 

When the horse was well away from the treacher¬ 
ous place, Tim scooped up some sea water with an 
old rusty pan and threw it over him. Rubbing 


210 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


and caressing the horse and scraping away the 
mud, the boys after fifteen minutes’ work got him 
to his feet; and when he was on his four legs he 
looked about in a sheepish way, as if to say, 
“ What an old fool you must think me.” But 
the boys assured him that he was a good sport, 
and with that he took to himself fresh courage. 
In five minutes they had the harness on him, and 
the women were slowly, slowly driving him away, 
with smiles and words of praise and thanks for 
their rescuers. 

“ What fun we have had this afternoon! ” said 
Tim to his two friends, as they made their way 
back to the u Odin.” “ We’ve had a good run 
for our money! ” 

“ A nifty afternoon! ” they all agreed. 

That night, Tom Dawson broke in upon their 
supper in the most excited state of mind. “ Say, 
fellows,” he said, “ I’ve got a glorious proposition 
to put up to you! 

“ My dad and five other business friends want 
to go through the new Cape Cod Canal, and I’ve 
been working them to engage the ‘ Odin ’ for the 
trip. I tell them that on her they’ll see every 
inch of the way, so much better than going through 


Chiefs Head Floating on Water 211 


on a steamer. The moon is full on the 28th, 
and 29th, and what I’ve been getting them daffy 
about is a sail through the canal into Buzzards 
Bay by moonlight. Five years ago, when the 
canal was opened with formal exercises at Buz¬ 
zards Bay, my governor was on the steamboat, 
‘Rose Standish,’ the official boat, and he’s never 
got over talking about the great occasion. That’s 
one reason he wants to go through the canal again. 
He wants to see the canal now that the company 
has increased the depth to 30 feet. I’ve worked 
out all the details something like this: We could 
give up the cabin to the six men, and the four of 
us, for I mean to go along as well, unless you’ve 
a kick coming? ” “ Nothing doing in that direc¬ 

tion,” instantly spoke up Sam, “ the show wouldn’t 
be a success without you. You’ve got to go if we 
go.” “ That’s the stuff! ” replied Dawson. “ As 
I was remarking, we can give up the cabin to the 
six men, and we can manage nicely with the 
standing-room. I’ll bring along a couple of 
mattresses and extra blankets, and with a canopy 
fixed up over us, we can sleep as much protected 
as you please. It will be bully! 

“ If we’ll take care of the food end of it, my 


212 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


father and his friends offer $100 for the trip; and, 
say! went on Dawson, “ the offer’s a cinch! 
Because if we are lucky enough to get a strike of 
mackerel, or of bluefish on the way, believe me, 
the men will be satisfied — and we’ll be ditto. 
I told my dad that the offer was too generous a 
one, but hie argued that if they went by steamer 
and put up at hotels it would cost each man not 
less than ten dollars a day, in these profiteering 
times,” he added with a grin, “ and dad asked, 
‘ why shouldn’t those boys have the money? ’ 
To which good logic, I immediately agreed. 

“ Now, it’s all up to you fellows, whether or 
not you want to take up with this offer. The 
cooking end will come pretty hard on Tim, but, 
if you fellows will take me along, I’ll do my share 
of the work in the kitchen. Of course, I’m no 
such corking cook as Tim is, but I’ll do the best 
I can and who knows but that I may even show 
Tim a trick or two, especially if it comes to clams 
and clam cakes. Now what does the trust say? ” 

“ Say! why there’s only one thing to say: 
We’ll accept the offer, and with a shout! What do 
you say, Si and Tim? ” 

“ Say,” spoke Si and Tim almost together, 


Chiefs Head Floating on Water 213 


“ Don’t wait another minute garruling, snap 
up Tom’s offer before anyone gets cold feet over 
it.” 

Dawson, with a shout, rushed for the cabin 
steps. 

The hour was still young, and as the three chums 
were too much worked up over Dawson’s news to 
think of sleep, each settled down to writing letters. 
Each wanted to write home to give his family the 
news up to date, and in addition, Sam thought he 
would write to Elsie Cotting to let her know of 
the call on Betty Phillips; and, incidentally, tell 
her about the sword-fish drama, and of their later 
successes at Plymouth, including the proposed 
trip through the Cape Cod Canal. 

If one could have looked a few moments after¬ 
wards in the cabin of the “ Odin” he might have 
seen a pleasing sight. He might have seen a 
large nickel centre-lamp, suspended from the roof 
of the cabin, throwing its rays on an oblong 
centre-table, on which was a crimson cloth, and 
around which were three serious-minded young 
fellows, moving their sputtering pens. The draw- 
curtains at the cabin windows were also red, and 
the rosy coloring everywhere gave to the cabin 


214 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


and to the faces of the boys, a warm, home-like 
glow. 

And then one would be sure to notice the profiles 
of the chums: He would have noticed that Tim’s 
profile was not so sharply marked as either Sam’s 
or Si’s; but he would be sure that it was well 
worth another look. On his rounder face an 
onlooker would have seen some good curves and 
modelling; while under the “ Odin’s ” lamp his 
golden-red hair crinkled and shone as if it be¬ 
longed to a fire-god. 

Si’s profile might have suggested to him more of 
refinement than of strength, yet on a closer 
inspection he might have found it quite strong 
enough for most purposes. Si’s face was a long 
one yet not quite as long as Sam’s. He had a high 
forehead, with a mop of light fluffy hair which in 
the wind would blow every way. Just now, it was 
pushed back and held by a long, tapering nervous 
hand, — the hand of an artist, undoubtedly. 

His face, ordinarily fair, was now tanned by the 
sun and wind to a copper color, so, that, if it 
weren’t for his light hair, he might easily pass for 
a young Indian brave. While he sat there writing, 
little lights and shadows would come and go over 


Chiefs Head Floating on Water 215 


his sensitive face and die away in the lamp-light. 

And if the visitor looked at Sam, he certainly 
would be held by the resolution and manly strength 
of his features. How the lines stood out even in 
their repose! There was no sign of weakness 
there! From dome to chin, as the “ Odm ” from 
topmast to keel, all was well done. That square 
Virs jaw now stood out and glowed in the light. 
No backing down by the fellow who kept his teeth 
locked with such a grip! 

As a little qhap he had a shock of light brown 
curls — and even now the curls would persist. 
But the light brown had become dark brown and 
in the sunlight showed gleamings of gold. Ruffled 
by his hand his dark rings of hair had fallen to one 
side of his forehead, and over one of his ears, which 
gave to the profile a sort of careless cast. His 
nose was a bit large, but finely curved at the 
bridge; his lips covering a large mouth were well 
shaped, and now were wearing pleasing wrinkles 
at the corners. The stranger looking at Sam in 
the lamp-light would have said “ There is a noble 
face; it is honest, resolute, trustworthy, com¬ 
manding! ” And he would have looked at it 
more than once. 


216 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


Sam had already written to Elsie a card, 
but this was his first letter; and he was 
anxious to do his best. There were so many 
things to tell! He could not go into too many 
particulars — so he sat there reflectingly and 
telling his brain to select the very best. But he 
must put down the sword-fish episode, and she 
would want to know about her cousin Betty, her 
garden, and what the three chums thought about 
both. Then there were Dawson — and the fine 
work he had done; the jprospects of Buzzard’s 
Bay, and the trip through the Cape Cod Canal — 
such things as these surely must go down. So the 
pen scratched and sputtered at its new business. 

By nine o’clock the letters were all done, and 
the three boys gladly tumbled into bed. 

For the rest of the week the weather was unusu¬ 
ally fine and their time was well used. They had 
sailing parties for each day. On Sunday Sam and 
Si and Tim called on Betty. It was Tim’s first 
greeting and he immediately took to her. And the 
garden filled him with a new kind of enthusiasm! 

“ Say fellows, isn’t she great, and her garden 
the biggest thing yet? ” 

There was a common agreement. Especially 



Chiefs Head Floating on Water 217 


for Si had Betty made good, reinforcing, as she 
did, all his first strong impressions; her spon¬ 
taneous vivacity charmed him at every second, 
and her brilliant conversation thrilled him. She 
was too clever for his wits, he knew, but her skill 
in drawing him out made him think, under her 
stimulating guidance, he might improve himself. 
If she only gave him half a chance he meant to see 
much of Betty. 

So the afternoon's pleasure overran them all, and 
made their return to the “ Odin ” a glowing and 
excitable business. 


CHAPTER XIII 


DAWSON’S SCHEMES 

The next time they called, Betty Phillips told 
Sam that she would like to engage the “ Odin ” for 
a day to take some friends out for a sail, — “ But 
I want to go after you have got quite through with 
your regular engagements. I want this outing 
to be the grand finale to your stay in Plymouth,” 
and she turned her bright gaze on Si and Tim. 
“ I want to ask some young people to meet you 
boys, and ” — she added with one of her bursts of 
sunshine — “I want to see your beautiful boat, 
that I have heard so much about.” 

“ Oh! Miss Phillips,” eagerly put in Sam, 
“ You don’t have to engage the ‘ Odin ’; she is at 
your service, any time that you want her; and it 
would be a great pleasure to us all, I know, if you 
would simply be our guests — you and your 
friends — any time you’d like to use her. We 
should feel mighty proud to have you aboard, Miss 


Dawson’s Schemes 


219 


Phillips, and if you will only name the day, now, 
nothing shall interfere with it.” 

“ Thank you for your kindness, but you see I 
can’t quite do that. This is to be my party, and 
I want to engage the ‘ Odin ’ just like anybody 
else. I want to have everything my own way, 
you see, to do as I please, and to ask whom I 
please, and to feel that this is my very own little 
jaunt. 

“ I appreciate your generosity, and some time, 
perhaps, I can accept it; but now, I want to 
engage the ‘ Odin ’ in my own way — please let 
me? ” — and, there was no refusing her dignified 
and charming appeal. 

“ Well, Miss Phillips, the ‘ Odin ’ is yours, in 
any way you will take her.” 

“ Now, that’s nice and sensible of you. When 

is your last day here? ” 

“ We haven’t worked it out fully, but I rather 
think that we shall close our scheming ways in 
Plymouth with this trip which Dawson has 
arranged for the Canal. That will bring us back 
to Plymouth on the night of the thirtieth and 
that is Thursday, I believe. After that, we can go 
any time.” 


220 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


11 That’s lovely! Shall we say then Friday, 
July 31st, or Saturday August first? ” 

“If it is equally satisfactory to you, Miss 
Phillips, why not say, Friday? ” — “ unless,” 
Sam remarked with a smile, “ you are supersti¬ 
tious about Fridays? All of our success, best 
luck, has been on Fridays in this month of July; 
and we want you, Miss Phillips, to fit your day 
and party into this big month — isn’t that so, 
fellows? ” turning to Si and Tim. 

“ I vote for Friday, and July,” said Tim. 

“ Please say the thirty-first, Miss Phillips,” 
said Si. 

“ It shall be Friday, the thirty-first! ” responded 
that young lady, in her happiest manner. 

“ And now that’s settled Captain Virs ” — 
“ Please don’t! ” interrupted Sam. “ There is 
one other matter I must insist upon. You must 
be sure to get us back on the thirty-first, at not 
later than five o’clock. In the evening, I shall 
give a little dance for my friends, and I want you 
three boys to be sure to come! The dance will 
be absolutely informal — those of us who have 
been on the ‘ Odin ’ for the day — and, possibly 
a few others, — but only a small dance on the 


Dawson’s Schemes 221 

i 

lawn, and the simplest sort of an affair, and I 
shall expect you in your yachting suits, just as you 
have been all day. Now, don’t fail me, because 
my heart is set on it. And, you know,” she added, 
“ I am a very set person, and I make it very un¬ 
comfortable for my friends, unless they let me 
have my way.” So everything was settled! 

Monday was a stormy day, and the contem¬ 
plated outing had to be postponed. After break- 
fast Sam announced that he was obliged to go to 
Boston to see his uncle — his father’s brother — 
but he would not tell the others what this business 
was. “ I can take the eleven o’clock train and 
be back again by five; and you two fellows will be 
glad to get rid of me for a while.” 

“ Not on your life! ” was their rapid fire reply. 

When Sam left the “ Odin ” for the train, it 
was noticed by both of his chums that he carried 
a roundish sort of package tucked well under his 
arm. 

All went as usual during the rest of their stay 
in Plymouth. It was the old story repeated: 
sails; blue-fishing; mackerel trolling; a run up 
and down the coast — and something interesting 
doing all the time. Then came the 28th, and the 


222 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


preparations for their start for Sandwich, the 
Canal, and Buzzards Bay. By a previous under¬ 
standing the party was to leave at one o’clock 
that day. 

After breakfast Tom Dawson appeared with a 
wagon in which were two three-and-a half foot 
mattresses, and blankets. 

“ I’m now on the job, put me at anything,” was 
his salutation. 

“ You’re always on the job, Tom,” was Sam’s 
rejoinder. “ There’s a lot to do, and we are 
mighty glad to see you.” 

They first gave the “ Odin’s ” cabin an extra 
rub-down; then they laid their heads together to 
think out the food problem for ten persons for the 
two days. That problem certainly took some 
discussing. The boys intended to give their 
visitors the greatest run for their money ingenuity 
could devise. 

“ We must fill the men up with food — and the 
snappiest that they’ve ever tasted,” remarked the 
sagacious chef, Tim. 

“ That’s 0. K. but don’t let us overdo it! ” 
put in the cautious Dawson. “ Don’t overdo it! 
I know these men, and I know that my dad will 


Dawson’s Schemes 


223 


expect only the simplest fare — enough of it, of 
course — but no titbits — good, plain grub and 
served with local color — do you get me? ” 

“ No! we don’t get you, Dawson, you are too 
subtle for us,” joked Tim. 

“ Oh! it will be simple enough, because that is 
my end of it. But the food has got to be to their 
liking — I don’t care to be thrown overboard on 
the trip and have to swim for it,” went on Tim 
whimsically. “ I’ve got my future to consider — 
do you get me? ” 

“ Come down from your perch, old top,” jollied 
Tom in return. 

“ You’ll do the trick, Tim, to the turn. You’ll 
satisfy them all right, so what are we tripping 
over? Let’s get a move on! ” 

To which Tim replied, “Tom, you’ve got a 
much better bean than I have — what you say 
goes. I take it it’s up to you and me in the 

kitchen.” 

So the arguments ceased with the understanding 
that what Tim and Tom agreed upon would suit 
every one. So these two stewards went ashore 
for supplies. When they returned from their 
important expedition, on the “ Odin s centie- 


224 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


board table were laid out, for storing away, steaks, 
bread, eggs, bacon, Dundee Marmalade, butter, 
cheese, bananas, melons, tea, coffee; and in the 
“Odin's” standing-room there was a case of 
Clicquot Ginger Ale. 

“ With a run in of a blue-fish or two and mack¬ 
erel,” remarked Sam, as he put his head in at 
the companion way, “ I should think that we 
might keep the blues from attacking us for the 
next two days. You've got a great layout, 
fellows! ” 

“ You haven’t mentioned the clams that we are 
going to open their mouths with — steamed clams 
are always ticklers,” threw back Tim. 

All was ready for the canal cruise when the six 
men came to time on Wednesday afternoon. The 
prospects were for good weather. With the wind 
coming from the west they were assured of a 
splendid start. The plan was to get to Sandwich 
by evening, go through the canal and get to 
Buzzards Bay by midnight. The behavior of the 
“ Odin ” called forth from the men the usual praise, 
and the only noteworthy incident of the runover 
was the hauling aboard of a splendid seven pound 
blue-fish. 


Dawson’s Schemes 


225 


That first supper of Tim’s beat anything they 
had ever tasted, the men said. 

But how could it have been otherwise? The 
sail had put an edge on their appetites and things 
were done to a turn. The table, too, was spread 
in the most fetching way. “ Immaculately clean ” 
remarked Mr. Williamson with delight. “ These 
youngsters certainly know just how to do it.” 

First there came on the famous steamed clams; 
then a juicy steak; then sliced bananas with lemon 
juice and sugar — after Mrs. Cotting’s poet’s 
receipt; and a wind-up with coffee and cheese. 

When the men were comfortably seated outside, 
and pulling at their cigars, Captain Sam and his 
crew got in their innings. And from the laughter 
below decks, the men above knew that the boys 
were not lacking for anything. 

Tom had arranged that the “ Odin ” in 
running through the canal should look lestive, 
and had brought extra flags and bunting. “ We 
must dress ship for the natives who live along the 
banks; to let them know there are important per¬ 
sons aboard this craft,” he remarked to his pals, 
“ and, incidentally to give dad and his friends an 
extra thrill.” So from the peak to bow-spirit, 


226 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


from the peak-halyards a long streamer flew, and 
along the boom the “ Odin ” carried Tom’s colors. 
At the stern, of course, was Old Glory rippling. 
At 7.30 they began their never-to-be-forgotten 
sail. 

In the west the sun was ready to set, and in the 
east the moon to rise; and just before the sun was 
showing his last red upper edge, the face of the 
moon, almost as red, was over the horizon. 

Such a night! 

When darkness began to settle upon them the 
sand-dunes and trees became silhouetted against 
the sky like weird unknown animals, while the 
“ Odin’s ” bow cleaving the water, crooned a 
strange song. In the movies they had all seen 
pictures of Egypt in the night, and they could 
imagine that the pictures before them now were of 
the desert and Egypt. “ Now bring on your 
camels,” said Si, “ and the illusion will be per¬ 
fect.” At every turn of the canal they looked for 
the Sphinx. The soft west wind kept the yacht 
moving at just the right speed so that they 
should miss nothing, and have little to do but 
keep the tiller true. When they had got through 
nearly a third of the canal the Metropolitan 


Dawson’s Schemes 


227 


steamer, going from Boston to New York, blew its 
siren, and passed them with brightness and swirl. 
And just afterwards Mr. Dawson told the boys of 
his experience of a few years back at the “ Official” 
opening of the canal: 

“ It was at exactly 1.55 in the afternoon,” he 
said, “ on July 29th, 1914, that the prow of the 
steamer ‘ Rose Standish ’ struck and broke a 
small rope stretched from bank to bank at the 
southerly entrance of the canal, and this important 
inland waterway, begun on June 21, 1909, was 
formally opened to the ships and craft of the world. 
As the ‘ Standish ’ entered the waterway, Mrs. 
August Belmont, who was standing near me, 
impulsively threw her arms about her husband’s 
neck, thus giving credit in the sight of all, to the 
chief man to whom credit is due for this remark¬ 
able accomplishment,” and Mr. Dawson swung his 
arm to right and left. 

“ Following the ‘ Standish ’ was the U. S. Tor¬ 
pedo Destroyer, ‘ Mr. Dougal.’ Then followed in 
procession August Belmont’s yacht ( Scout ; the 
yacht 1 Alice ’ owned by President Underwood of 
the Erie R.R. Then came the yachts ‘ Thelma,’ 
‘ Linta,’ ‘ Ituna,’ ‘ Sultana,’ and many others. 


228 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


“ As the column of craft entered the canal, the 
lively air, played by the ‘ Standish’s ’ band, was 
drowned by the greeting it received. 

“ Scores of yachts, large and small, dredges that 
had been pulled out of the way, row-boats whose 
occupants had taken along horns and bells, tug¬ 
boats, automobiles ashore, and tens of thousands 
of men, women and children, joined in the vocifer¬ 
ous greeting. Whistles, bells of all sizes and tones, 
horns, and cheers, made up the joyous racket, 
while the fog-horn of the ‘ Standish ’ bellowed her 
response.’ 7 

Then came his account of the formal Dedicatory 
Exercises at Buzzards Bay, in a tent pitched by 
the side of the canal, at which Seth Low, ex- 
Mayor of New York, and the present President of 
the New York Chamber of Commerce presided. 

“ Mr. Low rejoiced ” Mr. Dawson went on, 
“ in the opening of the canal, and characterized 
the event as the realization of the hopes and 
dreams of 300 years. 

“ All who love New York, and all who love 
New England,” he remembered his saying “ will 
be thankful for this day. What men have talked 
of for 280 years has been accomplished in five 


Dawson’s Schemes 


229 


years, and this, perhaps, illustrates the compara¬ 
tive value of words.” 

Then Mr. Low introduced Mr. Belmont, as the 
one man who had made possible the building of 
the canal. When Mr. Belmont rose to speak, 
the Governor of Massachusetts sprang up, and 
called for three rousing cheers. 

“ After Mr. Belmont had given the statistics 
of the canal,” said Mr. Dawson, “ he brought out 
the interesting fact that ‘ tomorrow,’ meaning of 
course the 30th of July, 1914, the canal would be 
open for coastwise craft drawing not more than 
20 feet; but that by December the depth of the 
canal would be increased to 25 feet at low water, 
and to 30 feet at high water, so that the largest 
ships afloat could pass through it. 

“ After Mr. Belmont, the Governor of the State 
and other distinguished men had their say, and 
congratulatory telegrams were read from Pres¬ 
ident Wilson and Secretary of the Treasury 
McAdoo.” 

It was an interesting story, and interestingly 
told. It held everybody’s attention, and espe¬ 
cially made a strong impression on the captain and 
crew of the “ Odin,” as they heard the tale from 


230 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


the lips of a man who had been present as one of 
the invited guests. 

And so the happy hours passed without acci¬ 
dent or special adventure. By 11.30 they had 
slipped into the quiet waters of Buzzards Bay, 
and having made all snug and ship-shape for the 
night, all turned in for a well-earned rest, and 
pleasant dreams. Ten minutes afterwards the 
lights were out of the cabin of the “ Odin ” and 
the only sounds which broke the silence of the 
night were the men’s sonorous snores. 

The sleeping arrangements for everybody must 
have proved adequate, because nobody knew 
anything the next morning until the sun was well 
up. The first to stretch himself was Sam, who 
yawned considerably before he came to himself. 
Finally, his stirring stirred the other three, who 
were under the canopy, and at last, there was a 
move on to get up. For once they passed by the 
temptation to have a swim, and got to work 
instead, swobbing the deck. As they were en¬ 
gaged in this necessary ship’s business, a deep 
voice called out from below. “ Stow it! Stow it! 
What are you fellows making such an unearthly 
racket about over our heads? ” 


Dawson’s Schemes 


231 


“ Sun’s up! ” the captain reminded them, 
“ Ship's being put in order for the day. What 
about breakfast? ” he tempted the voice. 

“ What’s all this deuced noise about? ” asked 
another sleepy voice. 

“ Man alive! if you don’t wake up we’ll never 
get back through the canal, today,” the boys 
heard some one answer. u By heavens! if it isn’t 
8 o’clock! ” 

Then the boys heard the men chaffing each 
other, and hustling to get out on deck. 

And what a breakfast! When each had done it 
justice to the limit, and the men were pulling at 
their cigars and pipes, on everybody’s face there 
was a broad grin of contentment. 

“ Now,” asked Sam, “ What would you men 
like to do for the day? Shall we take a look about 
Buzzards Bay, and gradually work back through 
the canal, slipping in at the little inlet at Bourne- 
dale for dinner, then running through the rest of the 
canal, and getting back to Plymouth by evening?” 
The men agreed that no program could be better 
than that, as it would enable them to view the 
canal by daylight, and go ashore for an hour or 
two at either Bournedale or Sagamore. 


232 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


In Buzzards Bay the wind became a bit stiff, 
and as this would show the men what the “ Odin ” 
could do when she was in her element, Sam, Si 
and Tim were especially delighted. Just ahead of 
them was a single sticker, with a fine overhang at 
bow and stern — a boat larger than the “ Odin,” 
and carrying a jib and topsail. There was no 
doubt but that here was a racer, as well, and the 
“ Odin ” would have to look well to her laurels. 
It would never do to lose a race such as this might 
prove to be after all the praise of the “ Odin ” by 
her many friends. But Sam was not the least 
little bit disturbed. He knew that he could not 
run away from this 30-foot knockabout, but he 
did believe he could catch and pass her. And so 
the chase began! Just now the knockabout was 
sailing with the wind off her quarter. Her skipper 
looking back and perceiving that the “ Odin ” 
was overhauling her began some new tactics: 
he brought his yacht nearer to the wind in an 
attempt to find out what this “ Odin ” could do 
close hauled. And he soon found out to his dis¬ 
comfiture, for nothing could foot faster than the 
“ Odin ” on such a tack. It was uncanny how 
near the “ Odin ” could sail into the wind, without 













IN TEN MINUTES THE ODIN HAD PASSED THE OTHER BOAT 




























Dawson’s Schemes 


233 


losing speed. In ten minutes she had weathered 
the other boat, and had passed her. 

“ I wonder what that fellow was thinking about 
as he read on our stern, ‘ Odin,’ Weymouth, Mass.” 

“ Thinking of how he could murder us, prob¬ 
ably,” said Tom Dawson. 

Soon they came about, and made for the canal 
and home. 

They reached Plymouth that night a little before 
nine o’clock. 

“ The finest trip I’ve ever taken,” said Tom’s 
father, and you young fellows have treated us 
white. No one could have done better for me and 
my friends. We are all delighted. When you 
come to Plymouth again, be sure to look us up. 
You’ll always find a cordial welcome from me and 
my family ” he continued, as he took Sam, Si and 
Tim in turn by the hand. His friends spoke in 
an equally enthusiastic way, parting with the 
boys like old friends. 

In the afternoon Tom dropped aboard to make 
his report and to have a final settlement. Examin¬ 
ing their books they found that the net receipts 
for 22 days at Plymouth were $384, but, from these 
22 days they reminded themselves of three Sun- 


234 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


days, and two days before they got started. So 
that the $384 represented only seventeen working 
days. They all thought the total pretty hand¬ 
some, and showed what could be done by the right 
co-operation. Tim assured them, that next year 
they could do even better because sailing dates 
could be worked up well in advance, and the 
“ Odin ” would be better known. This optimistic 
assurance found ready acceptance by all. 

Tom’s share of the $384 was $96 while the 
“ Odin’s ” was $288. When the division was made 
mutual congratulations and hand-shakes were 
offered and accepted. 

“ It’s been fine to know you three fellows, and 
I hope nothing will interfere to keep up the friend¬ 
ship,” said Tom earnestly. 

“ The same here! ” the others voiced. 

“ After tomorrow’s outing where do you take 
the ' Odin? ’ ” 

“ First Marblehead, then Gloucester.” 

“ Well good luck to you all, and a pot of money 
to the three of you! ” 

“ The same to you, old man, and a bigger pot 
than any of us,” put in Tim. 

“ Dawson,” said Sam, “ you’ve done finely for 


Dawson’s Schemes 


235 


us, — and we appreciate it. You’ve been as 
square as a cube, and we’ll not forget you. r When 
you come to Weymouth, don’t fail to look us up. 
We’ll be mighty glad to see you.” Following 
upon that good speech Dawson got away with 
hand-shakes again all round. 

“ Dawson’s as clean as a smelt,” remarked the 
garrulous Tim. 

“ As keen as a blade,” followed Si. 

“ A fellow worth sporting with for life,” finished 
Sam. 


CHAPTER XIV 


PLYMOUTH AND A GARDEN PARTY 

After Tom’s departure, they all got to work 
putting the “ Odin ” in perfect trim for the pro¬ 
jected trip. Every bit of wood was either rubbed, 
or scrubbed — or both. The brass-work soon 
began to flash new signals to the sun, and, when the 
outside white paint was washed from the tender, 
the “ Odin ” glistened from stem to stern as if she 
were newly varnished. The tender was given a 
similar scrubbing, and when the job was finished 
there was not a cleaner, trimmer, handsomer 
yacht in all Massachusetts Bay. 

“ Say,” remarked Tim, when they were wonder¬ 
ing what else could be done to make tomorrow’s 
trip a success, “ What do you fellows say to our 
getting a few flowers for a centre-piece, and of 
hiring a punch-bowl for Lady Betty’s party? ” 

“ Just the thing ” briskly spoke up Si, “ it 
would give the cabin just the extra touch it needs.” 


Plymouth and a Garden Party 237 


“ Get anything you like, Tim,” agreed Sam. 
So Tim started off at once to carry out his ideas. 

The next morning by nine-fifteen, the “ Odin ” 
lay at the wharf’s float in all her glory, with flag 
astern and creamy white sail flapping in the brisk 
westerly wind. Three nattily dressed yachtsmen 
in freshly laundered negligee shirts and white 
duck trousers stood waiting by her side. Pleasant 
expectations were written all over their shining 
tanned faces. In the distance a group of chatter¬ 
ing young people were seen approaching, with a 
man in the midst of them carrying two big 
baskets. 

“ There they are,” grinned keen-sighted Tim. 

“ Steady fellows! ” Sam counselled. But as the 
young people drew nearer Sam felt his heart give 
a tremendous thump for, unless his eyes were 
deceiving him, there was someone coming, whom 
he had not thought of seeing, and whose appear¬ 
ance was the signal for sunshiny weather. This 
person was Elsie Cotting! Before she got any 
nearer though, he thought, he must get this 
broad grin off his face, “ It will be a dead give¬ 
away! ” So he steadied himself, and was, there¬ 
fore, a bit stiffer in greeting her than he might 


238 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


have been. Still there must have been gladness 
enough in his blue-gray eyes to have satisfied her 
that he was not sorry she came. 

“ This is a surprise! ” he spoke to her as they 
shook hands. 

“ Not a disappointing one, I hope,” with that 
friendly, straight look of hers, which always gave 
him pleasure. 

The look he gave her was answer enough. A 
warm flush came to her face. 

Betty was in high spirits, and more like a hum¬ 
ming bird than ever. 

She would dart here and there, first to this one, 
then to that one of the “ Odin’s ” crew in intro¬ 
ducing her friends. Her loveliness and sprightli¬ 
ness and friendliness, fairly fascinated Si, who 
watched her so steadily that he scarcely had sight 
for anyone else. 

“ I have brought eleven, instead of ten,” she 
confided to him. “ I w~as afraid that thirteen 
aboard the ‘ Odin ’ might prove a Jonah, and I 
so want my day to be a perfect one! ” 

“ Oh! It couldn’t be otherwise with you on 
board,” he ventured. At that speech, he got a 
pleased, gay glance. 


Plymouth and a Garden Party 239 


“ How perfectly lovely! ” exclaimed Betty, as 
she looked into the cabin and saw a large glass 
bowl of forget-me-nots and ferns, with Indian 
pipes, pale and delightfully pink, peeking out 
among them. 

“ Whoever worked that scheme out? ” rippled 
Betty. 

“ It’s all Tim — his idea/’ answered honest Si. 

0 

11 How nice of you to make my day so attrac¬ 
tive,” she turned impulsively to Tim. 

Tim’s brown face showed some red beneath the 
tan, as he remarked, “ I am glad if you like them.” 
He made clear his pleasure in her pleasure. 

Soon afterwards they got away with the wind 
at their stern, and the “ Odin’s ” bow ploughing 
its way for the Gurnet and the open sea. As the 
strong westerly wind would bellow the sail they 
left in their wake a trail of glistening foam. 

“ Fridays are our fortunate days,” remarked 
Elsie to Sam with enthusiasm, “ they seem propi¬ 
tious days.” 

“ Then you haven’t forgotten our day at the 
Brewsters? ” 

“ Not yet! ” smiled Elsie. 

The brisk breeze and the jump to the waves, 


240 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


with the “ Odin ” rushing so masterfully through 
them, put everybody in good humor, and soon 
Jennie Cartwright and May Dorner, Betty’s 
friends, had out their ukuleles and the whole 
company joined in some rollicking songs. Some 
very pleasant sounds went forth in consequence.' 

The “ Odin ” was doing not less than nine miles 
an hour, and her run over the lifting sea was a 
delight. 

“ Shall we keep to the open, or do you prefer to 
keep nearer the coast? ” Sam inquired of Betty. 

“ Go anywhere you like, only, if you don’t 
mind, I think that it would be nice to get under 
the bluffs of Manomet for dinner. 

“ Nothing would be better, and we can make it 
quite easily in this breeze.” 

“ Then let us say Manomet,” chimed in those 
about them. 

For three hours they did nothing but sing and 
sail with conversation sandwiched in — and sail 
and sing, and feel the joy of the hours. A very 
happy and congenial party dropped anchor, at 
just 12.30, under the sandy bluffs. Tim had 
already started the coffee boiling. How good it 
smelled! 


Plymouth and a Garden Party 241 


As the “ Odin ” was pulling at her anchor road 
then came the surprise! 

A big punch-bowl was brought on deck filled 
with a sparkling ruby drink. In the centre of this 
ruby liquid was floating a glistening cake of ice. 
The sight of it brought forth many an “ Oh! ” 

Questioned how he had made it, Tim refused 
to divulge the secret of how many bottles of 
ginger ale it had taken to give the drink its 
sparkle. 

When the feast was finally ended Betty found, 
to her comfort, that there was enough food left 
to have a further round in the afternoon. 

“ However do you boys manage to cook enough 
food for yourselves, not to mention your neighbors, 
living as you do, most of the time on the sea? ” 
she laughingly inquired of Si. 

“ Oh! it makes a difference who does the cook¬ 
ing,” he replied gallantly. 

“ If the matter were left to me, now, we should 
often be in a hole. But Tim does the cooking, 
and there’s a difference; and, by the way he’s 
something of a cook, but he has his superior, he 
continued quite brazenly looking Betty in the 
face. 


242 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


“ But you see, fortunately for you all, I didn’t 
do it.” 

“ Well! you had a hand in it, I know, that’s all 
right.” 

In such fashion the hours slipped by. 

During the afternoon, Sam and Si and Tim 
alternated at the tiller and at the sheet-rope, so 
that each one had his chance to go among the 
group. Sam was inclined to monopolize Elsie, 
but that young lady had other plans for him. 
Still, he had her long enough to himself to learn 
something of her doings during the last three 
weeks. In her notes to him she had mentioned 
little of herself, and his questionings brought out 
the things she had failed to write. Sam probed 
well in his quiet, forceful way, and Elsie often let 
slip a thing which afterwards she thought she 
ought to have kept more guarded. It was an 
afternoon for both not easily forgotten. 

But four-thirty o’clock was approaching, and 
they were due to land at five. Already they had 
passed the Gurnet and the prow of the “ Odin ” 
was pointing to the land. 

“ Now don’t forget, everybody is expected at 
my house by half-past seven. I want the dancing 


Plymouth and a Garden Party 243 

to begin by eight. No delay, please, because I 
want you to see my garden before dusk,” com¬ 
manded Betty. 

“ What a lovely day it has been!” she continued, 

11 1 hope that you have all had as good a time as I 
have had; and thank you all for giving me such a 
perfect outing! ” and Betty’s face beamed. 

“ Betty you’re a dear ” came from her girl 
friends. “ It has been perfectly lovely, as you 
say. Thank you for the happiest of days.” 

The boys chimed in with their “ well said! ” 
and “ hear hear! ” Then thanks were given with 
hand clasps. 

“ Don’t forget seven-thirty! ” — so the matter 
was left. 

When the party had gone, on the “ Odin’s ” 
table was found an envelope addressed to 1 Cap¬ 
tain Samuel Virs.” In the envelope was a check 
for twenty-five dollars made out to him. 

“ What do you think of that? ” inquired Sam, 
quite disturbed, as he thrust the check in the faces 
of Si and Tim. 

“ Tear the beastly thing up,” was Tim’s advice. 

“ Get her to take it back ” counselled Si, with 
a doleful countenance. 


244 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


“ I’m afraid she won’t consider our wishes for 
a single instant, but I’ll try. You know what a 
delightfully set little person Miss Betty is. I’d 
rather face a firing squadron than to face her, 
when her mind’s made up. And you know how 
proud she is? Believe me I hate the situation. 

I hate even to talk about money with her. 
You know how she insisted on engaging the 
“ Odin.” She considers this a business transac¬ 
tion, and she’ll feel hurt if we don’t consider it in 
the same light. Of course we don’t want her 
money. — Why between ourselves, it seems like 
taking it from our own family. But she’s a little 
brick just the same, and every inch a true sport! ” 

“ It’s rotten! ” both Si and Tim agreed. 

Betty’s guests arrived promptly, as she had 
asked them to. 

They received as warm a greeting from Mr. and 
Mrs. Phillips, as from Betty. Twelve couples in 
all made the round of the garden just as the dusk 
was settling. A rose-arch, brilliant with ramblers 
under which they began their promenade, started 
their enthusiasm and this fervor never left them 
during the hours of that never-to-be-forgotten 
evening of pleasures. All along their way tiny 


Plymouth and a Garden Party 245 


electric lights had been skillfully placed among 
the trees and bushes, which were manipulated by 
different switches, and these lights twinkled at 
them, in their comings and goings, like so many 
fire-flies; and the effect, with the on-coming dark¬ 
ness upon them was that of a real fairyland. 
First a twinkle would disclose a blossomed bush; 
then another twinkle a clump of leaves which 
looked as if they had been freshly varnished; 
then another twinkle, on the sod, would reveal 
the grass gleaming with dew-drops like magic 
diamonds. 

“ Oh! how lovely! ” said Elsie to Sam. 

“ Yes! it is indescribably beautiful. However 
did Miss Betty do it? ” 

“ Oh! she is equal to anything,” remarked Elsie 
with conviction. “ But isn’t weird ’ the word to 
describe this scene? — that is if you think of 
weird — not as something unpleasant but as 
something lovely and strange — and not of this 
earth! At this moment I am feeling myself back 
again in my childhood with all my childish fancies 
regarding sprites, and elves, and fairies come true. 
I feel, again, all the dramatic values of a beautiful 

unreality.” 


246 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


“ So do I,” answered Sam. “ You have hit it 
with your definition of ‘ weird.’ ” 

Just as he ceased speaking the white lights all 
disappeared and in their places were innumerable 
twinkles of red, green, and yellow throughout the 
garden. 

“ What an enchantress! ” some one remarked. 
“ Where is she? ” 

There was a laugh, and the smiling face of 
Betty Phillips appeared. 

A dancing board had been placed under the trees 
under a canopy covering, and Miss Betty steered 
their course towards it. Just as they reached the 
trees a cluster of powerful lights threw out its 
glow, and a hidden orchestra began to play. 

“ Please take partners for the first dance! ” was 
heard, and the evening’s merriment started. 

During a pause in the dancing that night, this 
conversation might have been heard: 

“ Miss Phillips, won’t you take back, please, 
that slip of paper I found on the cabin table of the 
‘ Odin ’? It would gratify all of us on the boat 
if you would. We can’t take it! The truth is it 
seems to every member of our crew that in keeping 
that check we are robbing one of our own house- 


Plymouth and a Garden Party 247 


hold. Say, Miss Betty, won’t you do it? ” 
Actually there was a tremor in Sam’s deep voice. 

“ Samuel Virs! you are spoiling my evening for 
me! ” 

Betty said this with her voice cutting right 

< - 

through Sam. 

He felt, almost, as if he were being wrapped in a 
flame. Then more calmly, he heard her say, “ I 
appreciate your feelings perfectly, and if you must 
know, I honor you for them. But just see, in 
justice to me, my position. I engaged the ‘ Odin ’ 
for a whole day. I make a business transaction 
with you, just as anyone else would. I agree to 
do something, and you agree to do something. 
You do your part, and you do not want me to do 
mine. Is that fair? Is it just? Why a part of 
the joy of that trip was in helping a little the 
‘ Odin’s ’ success. We can afford the expense, all 
right, and why talk any more about it? You will 
let me keep my pleasure in that outing? ” she 
slyly put in, as she dabbed at her eyes with a 
diminutive lace handkerchief. Then she turned 
hotly on him again, “ Samuel Virs, if you don’t 
take that check, and feel glad to take it, too, I’ll 
never accept any invitation of yours or of your 


248 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


friends — she threw at him, and that means, of 
course, that I’ll never have another run on your 
beautiful boat,” and Betty looked at him, and 
the look broke down all his defenses. 

“ All right,” grumbled Sam, “ we’ll take your 
old check, Miss Betty, and we are glad to take it. 
We wish we had a do/en more just like it! ” 

“ Now will that suit you,” he threw at her 
almost savagely. 

Then the artful Betty took down her ’kerchief 
and beamed at him, said that he and his friends 
were dears, and ran off with this injunction: 

“ You may tell Mr. Si and Mr. Tim that they 
are both horrid! ” and she beamed at him again. 

A little later Elsie inquired of Sam what the tiff 
was all about between him and Betty. “ Why I 
really thought you and she were quarreling. I 
couldn’t believe my eyes. You and Betty 
quarreling! ” 

“ Well! if you must know the truth, Miss Betty 
and I almost came to blows. I certainly thought 
at one time that I was all done for. The facts are 
these: Your cousin and I were discussing a cer¬ 
tain, bloomin’ scrap of paper, as an Englishman 
might say.” 


Plymouth and a Garden Party 249 


“ Yes! and from what I observed I should say 
that you did not agree about it,” Elsie broke in. 

“ You are quite right in your observation,” 
said Sam. “ We didn’t agree at all. What I 
called white, she called black. Finally I had to 
agree with her that white was black. She beat me 
from the start! I never had a look-in. I thought 
when I started the discussion about that scrap of 
paper, that I had her beaten. But I have now 
discovered, that Miss Betty —as my English¬ 
man would again say — takes a lot of beating, and 
then you don’t win,” Sam ended with a smile. 

“ Oh! no one can get the better of Betty. I ve 
long ago discovered that. In the first place she 
possesses an imp of a will; and in the second place 
she can produce logic that is overwhelming. No, 
I can well understand that you would stand no 
chance in an encounter with Betty. To tell you 
the truth I am sometimes afraid of her myself.” 

And then Elsie sweetly said to him, “ But then 
you know Betty’s generally right,” and with that 
pretty speech to mull over, Elsie left him to dance 
with a partner who had just arrived to claim her. 

“ Well! I am jiggered! ” remarked Sam sooth¬ 
ingly to himself. 


250 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


In one of the dance pauses Tim was heard to say 
to Cecilia Atkins, his partner, that he never knew 
that the music from a harp, violin, and flute could 
be so beautiful or that dancing could be so entranc¬ 
ing.” To which that young lady replied, “ that 
it was all the allurement of Betty’s garden. It is 
the most fascinating place in all the world — a 
beautiful fairy-land.” 

“|And Miss Phillips is just like, a fairy, herself,” 
gallantly remarked Tim. 

-Mm*. 

| “ She i is the most lovable girl I have ever 
known,” continued Miss Atkins. “ We are all 
agreed that there is only one Betty.” 

“ She’s great, all right! ” was Tim’s rejoinder, 
praise which he suggested to Miss Betty herself 
that night. But Betty marred his full enj oyment in 
the praise when she playfully answered him, “Oh! 
well, you will outgrow your prejudices after 
a while.” 

Just then an intermission was called and refresh¬ 
ments were served. Two colored men brought the 
ices and cakes to a flower-strewn table and the 
boys helped the girls. Ripples of laughter could 
be heard. 

When Betty was saying good-bye to her friends 


Plymouth and a Garden Party 251 


in answer to their many compliments and thanks 
for their wonderful night, she turned to Sam to 
say, “ I am delighted if you have had a happy day. 
It has been the most beautiful one for me; and 
you three boys have been lovely, in every way. 
You have all entered into my plans so generously. 
Why, I couldn’t have done it without you. 
I shall never forget your kindnesses. Must 
you really leave tomorrow ? I shall certainly 
miss you all, and shall be sorry to think that 
the ‘ Odin ’ is not safely anchored in Plymouth 
Harbor. But you will let me know when 
you reach Marblehead ” — and Betty gave 
him a look and a hand-clasp which made all 
right. 

“We shall never forget your kindness to us,” 
was all he could say. 

To say good-bye to Elsie was even a more diffi¬ 
cult matter to put through. 

“ Elsie,” he remarked, “ you know that we 
shall all miss you dreadfully. I shall hope to look 
you up in Hull, in about a month — that is if you 
will let me. It was fine of you to come to 
Plymouth and give us a glimpse of you. This 
has certainly been a great day for me. Good- 


252 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


bye. Don’t forget, please, to remember me to 
your father and mother.” 

“ But you will write? ” questioned Elsie, 
searching him with her eyes. 

“We shall all be worried, until we know that 
you have returned safely from your cruise — and 
you will be careful,” she added eagerly. So they 
parted. 

Tim and Si also made their adieux. Si said to 
Betty, “ Thank you Miss Phillips for giving me 
such a stunning time. It has been a joy to know 
you, and your wonderful garden will live in my 
memory and inspire me, I know, to try to do 
something myself for art. I cannot tell what this 
day has meant to me.” 

And Betty replied as her shining black eyes were 
fixed upon him: 

“ You will make me very happy if my own poor 
attempts will help you to do so much better. I 
am sure that you have it in you to do very much, 
and I shall be interested in your career. Elsie has 
told me what you are going to Harvard for — 
and I do hope that everything will come true for 
you,” and Betty gave him one of her beautiful 
smiles. “ And you will send me a card when you 


Plymouth and a Garden Party 253 


reach Marblehead? ” Si was only too glad to 
assure her that he certainly would. 

“ What a day! ” remarked Tim, as the three 
chums started on their walk to the*" Odin.” 

“ What a night! ” mused Si. 

“ What a day and a night!” added Sam — 
with the suggestion of a sigh. 

“ Tomorrow we shall be on our way to Marble¬ 
head! ” 

“ Yes! — and it sounds really funny to say it, 
when we ought to be glad to go — that we shall 
hate to leave Plymouth,” smiled Tim. 

But to this remark of Tim’s for some reason or 
other neither Sam nor Si made any reply. As 
they neared the “ Odin ” each of our three friends 
was much occupied with his own thoughts. 


CHAPTER XV 

THE STORM AND WHAT CAME OF IT 


It was after eleven o’clock when they got aboard 
the “ Odin.” In a few minutes they had the cabin 
lamp lighted, and immediately they made ready to 
turn in: but not to sleep. Each one was too much 
excited to do that. 

It was fully one o’clock before Si passed into a 
troubled slumber, and Sam tossed first on one 
side, then on the other, until near daylight. Tim 
also proved that he could keep awake under some 
circumstances. Still, it was his cheery voice 
which aroused Sam and Si and gob the day started. 

“ Say! are you fellows ever going to get a move 
on? ” they heard him say, after he had been doing 
his best to get their attention after banging 
on the cabin table. “ It’s already gone eight! ” 
Their answers were two big, noisy yawns. 

“ You two fellows sound groggy, all right-0 to 
me, up you get! ” 


The Storm and What Came of It 255 


“ In 'arf a mint’, " yawned Sam. 

But they had Marblehead to make that day — 
and that meant a good forty-mile run. The 
thought of that soon put ginger into the laggards. 

Tim hustled the breakfast as usual, and by nine 
o'clock the bow of the “ Odin ” was pointing for 
the Gurnet. 

The day started very sultry, and this boded for 
the yachtsmen either a light wind or some squally 
weather. Not the best sort of a day, they decided, 
for a run across the open sea. But they thought 
it well to make the start, for they argued that, if 
the weather were bad, they could put in some¬ 
where and finish up the run to Marblehead the 
next day. So the sheet was eased and the wind, 
though light, blowing across their quarter pushed 
the yacht along merrily. 

For two hours the “ Odin ” had been doing 
pretty well, when Sam remarked, “ I don't like 
the look of things in the west — look at that cloud, 
fellows! Keep your weather eye wide open, Tim." 

“ Aye, aye Sir! " 

A monster funnel-shaped cloud had lifted itself 
out of the west and was moving fast towards the 
northeast. At first it had shown only as a wedge 


256 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


of black but, soon, the wedge had grown to a 
monster of indescribable size and fierceness and 
was racing in the direction of the “ Odin ” as if to 
overwhelm her. The sun was still shining and 
this shining only accentuated the horrible black¬ 
ness of the cloud. It required no use of the 
imagination to feel its ominous approach. 

“ I don’t like the look of things,” remarked 
Sam, with a serious set face. “ It will be no joke, 
when that wind hits us, especially as we are ten 
miles from nowhere. I’m not reporting what may 
happen if it once gets a good crack at us. What 
do you say to our getting a close-reef in? That 
squall is sure to hit us before long.” 

“ It looks fierce all right,” put in Tim, as he 
sprang forward to lower sail. 

Si had the halyards off the cleats in a jiffy as 
soon as Sam had the “ Odin ” into the wind. 

“ But we won’t worry, old pals, with the 
‘ Odin’s ’ planking under us — she’ll stand this 
blow, if anything afloat can stand it,” com¬ 
mented Si, as he worked against time. 

“ I like the grit of you two fellows all right, but 
a boat’s a boat, and we want to see shore again. 
That thing looks pretty fierce to me, *and there are 


The Storm and What Came of It 257 


some things that even the ‘ Odin ’ can’t stand — I 
haven’t seen it yet,” he went on bravely, “ but, 
fellows don’t underrate the strength of the coming 
wind. Look at the barometer, Si.” 

“ Twenty-nine and a half! ” 

“ As low as that? Now then, everybody 

buck up! ” 

As Sam spoke the sun became obscured and real 
darkness descended upon them, and with the 
darkness came one of those premonitory pauses — 
which those who sail the seas dread to feel 
when the wind suddenly dies out and in its place 
comes a sort of mysterious warning of conflict and 
havoc. And this warning was upon them just as 
the boom was secured by some half-hitches to the 
aft cleat. Then the storm broke with a fury that 
was satanic. They could see it coming even 
before it struck them by the black rushing shadow 
on the water. 

“ Now, hold on to yourself,” sang out Sam, 
“ It'll hit us in a second! And before the words 
were well out of his teeth it had hit them! 

For just a brief moment they thought that at 
last the dear, stanch old “ Odin ” was done for; 
that she had been knocked over. She actually 


258 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


heeled to her gunwale and the water slipped in. 
But, trembling from the shock, she instantly 
righted herself and began to plunge like a grand 
charger in battle who, though staggered by the 
fierceness of the fray, yet holds his head high, 
snorts and tries to reach the foe. 

Every rope and halyard shrieked and moaned 
while the “ Odin ” gripped with the wind that was 
seeking her overthrow. 

“ We must keep her head to the wind! — and 
if we can’t manage it, we must scud for it. It 
must be a fight from either bow or stern,” bel¬ 
lowed Sam, above the noise of the storm. 

Every eye was set; every nerve was fixed and 
tense; every heart was beating to the storm and 
the possible peril. 

So they fought it out with white, set faces, and 
the knowledge that this was but the beginning 
of the fight. When the first blow came it streaked 
the sea with white: now it made boiling white- 
capped waves; and with the rising sea the “Odin” 
began to pitch and toss. If they could only sail 
they would not fear the rising sea so much because 
they could plough through it — but the sail 
would be blown clean out of her in such a wind as 


The Storm and What Came of It 259 


this, even if they could carry a yard or two of 
canvas. The best that they could do was to 
leave the boom lashed just as it was, and to lift 
the peak of the sail a foot so as to get some steering 
way. This plan worked pretty well. The “Odin” 
was now doing what she seldom was known to do 

— shipping seas over her bow. Like a splendid 
duck she would dip into the waves, and when she 
lifted herself she would be covered with foam. 
Then she would roll and plunge, but, always, 
keep her keel down in the sea where it 
belonged. 

In anticipation of rain as well as wind the boys 
had put on their “ sou’westers ” and oil suits, and 
in this shipping of seas were partly protected. 
No rain yet! 

“ If it would only rain it would help to beat 
down this sea! ” exclaimed Si. But there was 
nothing yet but this fierce demon of wind. Fif¬ 
teen minutes! Twenty minutes! Thirty minutes! 

— and still the terrible wind! The “ Odin ” was 
fairly staggered, and rolled in such a way as Sam 
had never known her to do before. 

“ She’s doing her best, but she’s up against it, 
this time,” said Sam anxiously. Then the rain 



260 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


broke, and broke as if it meant to swamp them. 
But the scuppers would take care of the water! 
It was the wind whose grapple they feared. 

Then came a blinding flash, a deafening roar, 
and the blackness closed about them; the hal- 
yards chattered as if in trial, and the deluge 
poured its tide. How it rained! What with the 
swishing seas and the down-pour the standing- 
room of the “ Odin ” was in constant wash. 
And in that perilous hour the boys looked into 
each others’ faces, and knew that they might be 
looking for the last time. But never a second 
did they waver in their courage; never a second 
did they put aside their watchfulness. They took 
advantage of every opening. Like trained soldiers 
on the firing line they never thought of themselves, 
now, but of their duty. They met force with 
force! They matched wits with the winds and the 
sea! Roll as the “ Odin ” would, pitch and jump 
as she did, they kept their footing and their grit. 
They met every emergency with confidence and 
skill, and for a good hour they had to exert them¬ 
selves up to their limit. All that Sam’s father had 
taught him was requisitioned in this conflict, and 
skill and courage prevailed. The battle was 


The Storm and What Came of It 261 


already won, when the rain descended upon them 
and the wind became less fierce. 

“ She’s easing up! She’s easing up!” panted 
Tim. “ We’ve won out, boys! ” and he looked at 
Si and Sam, his face aglow. 

“ Yes! we’ve won out! We’ll get safely out of 
this,” answered Sam gratefully. And his face 
like Tim’s and Si’s showed his joy. 

But the sea was high and tried to overwhelm 
them. The danger was not fully over, though the 
high bow and sides of their gallant little vessel 
fenced and parried successfully the waves’ great 
blows. 

The giant black cloud had nearly passed them 
and they could now see in every direction for fully 
two miles while the sun was throwing its search¬ 
light in the west. Then the sun broke through the 
blackness and pinned to the tail of the sailing 

cloud its challenge and good-bye. 

“ Hurrah for the rain-bow! ” sang out Tim, 
exultantly. “ There’s our sign of promise! Noth¬ 
ing else to fuss over, now! ” 

“ It’s been a gripping time all-right,” chimed in 
Si. “ There was one time when I really thought 
we were all off our crumpets. But that rain-bow 


262 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


tells us that everything’s hunky-dory,” and he 
waved his cap, an unusual demonstration for the 
quiet Si. 

In fifteen minutes after that they were trying 
the close-reef, and the “ Odin ” carried it, but it 
must be confessed with some dipping of her boom 
in the mountainous seas. Soon she took kindly 
to a double-reef, as they pointed her beautiful bow 
in the direction of Marblehead. 

To the eastward the storm had moved from their 
position and they had the grandest sight before 
them of blackness and light: for out of that black 
monster of a cloud would leap the lightning, and 
for a second, make a river of golden, blinding fire. 

“To think of our having gone through a struggle 
with such a Titan as that, and escaping with our 
lives,” said Si with awed speech. 

“ Say, fellows, I am sure that I saw something 
in that flash — right off to the southeast,” re¬ 
marked Tim. “ It looked to me like a yacht 
dismantled — a wreck; and he rushed below for 
the marine glasses. All eyes were turned in the 
direction Tim had indicated and sure enough, 
there was something bobbing up and down in the 
hollows of the sea, like a yacht on her side. 


The Storm and What Came of It 263 


As soon as he could get his glasses on it, he 
called out, “ It’s a yacht as sure as you are alive! 
That storm has knocked out at least one boat.” 

“ Do you see anyone on her, or near her? ” 
asked Sam. 

“No! I don’t make out anyone.” 

“ Perhaps another boat has picked up those who 
were on her.” 

“ By Jimminy! I believe that there are three 

persons clinging to the keel! ” 

“ Yes! I am sure of it — there they are sure as 
life. Great Scott! ” and Tim passed the glasses 
to Sam in great excitement. 

“ Great Heavens! There are three people 
clinging to that wreck, and one of them is a girl! ” 
— and Sam passed the glasses to Si. 

Sam turned the bow of the “ Odin ” in the 
direction of the overturned yacht, and called out 
to Si and Tim, “ Shake out the reef, and try the 
whole sail. The wind has gone down a good deal: 
I think that we can carry it.” 

Si and Tim worked like two beavers. 

When the extra sail was hoisted, though the 
“ Odin ” had all the wind she wanted, she carried 
her canvas beautifully, as if she felt she had a right 


264 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


to defy any ordinary breeze. She pressed through 
the turbulent sea like a porpoise, and actually 
leaped, once in a while, out of the water like one. 
She rushed for those three people as if she knew 
that it was her business to save those three chilled 
and disheartened ones from further peril. 

“ Isn’t she the grandest of them all? ” asked 
Tim — meaning the “ Odin.” 

“ She’s the finest afloat — and I believe that 
she knows it,” added Si. 

“ She knows what’s expected of her all right,” 
put in Sam. “ But Boys, we’ve got to get there! 
What if we’re too late? ” 

“ I can see them plainly enough now, without 
the glasses — and I believe that they see us! 
Yes! I see an arm go up — and waving ” — this, 
in the greatest excitement from Tim. 

“ We’ll get there — we must! ” — and Sam’s 
eye never left the wreck, for with only half an eye 
he watched his sail, and every move of the u Odin.” 
His trained hand on the tiller looked after itself. 

Nearer and nearer they were getting to the 
wreck — and, though outwardly calmer, inwardly 
they were in a ferment. “ What if we are too 
late! ” each kept repeating to himself. 


The Storm and What Came of It 265 


Suddenly they heard a faint cry of “ Help! 
Help! ” 

At that cry, each shouted back, and frantically 
waved his cap. 

Tim got the megaphone, but in his condition 
could hardly put his words into a calm sentence. 
But this they must have heard on the wrecked 
boat. “ Hold on! Hold on! We’ll reach you. 
Hold on! ” 

Each of these lads had thrown off his sou’wester 
and oil suit, and was ready for action. 

Tim’s and Si’s under coats were also off. They 
were now within easy calling distance, and they 
kept calling out to those in the water the most 
encouraging words. A thousand feet more to go! 
Five hundred! Three hundred! One hundred! 
Would they never reach that overturned boat! 
Fifty — and then they saw that something 
desperate must be done. 

A young girl, trying to hold to the keel, was fast 
losing her grip. Her head would nod, as if she 
were going to sleep, her hand would slip from the 
keel, and then she would wake up with a kind of 
wild start, and try for a fresh hold on that slippery 
keel. They were now within twenty feet of those 


266 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


in the water, and Tim could stand the sight no 
longer. In an instant he had jerked his shirt 
loose, kicked his trousers off, and for one second 
stood poised on the “ Odin’s ” deck. Then he 
dived right into the deep, and when he came up 
he was within a few feet of that exhausted girl. 
Just as he reached her she let go her hold, but 
Tim’s strong arm was about her. 

By this time the “ Odin ” was up into the wind 
and well alongside. Sam and Si had thrown the 
two men a rope, and were pulling them towards 
the “ Odin,” Tim had the young girl safe. In 
another moment they were all aboard, cold and 
dripping, but SAFE! 

Then Si rushed for the cabin, jerked the blankets 
out, and laid them in the berths. Fortunately, 
before they reached the wreck, he had had the 
presence of mind to start the oil stove going, and 
now there was hot water ready. 

“ Fill mother’s hot water bag, and lay it be¬ 
tween a pair of blankets! ” commanded Sam. 

One of the two men had revived, and asked 
in an alarmed voice, “ What of Trixy? ” 

“ She’s here, and all right, I think,” answered 
Sam. “ But we want to get her into the cabin 


The Storm and What Came of It 267 


between some blankets, and with a hot water 
bag. If we could only get some of her wet things 
off” 

“ I’m her father, I’ll go with you.” 

50 the father pulled and jerked her wet things 
off, and immediately she was snuggled between 

those warm, dry blankets. 

51 was now very active in the little fore-castle. 
Clicks from spoons touching bottles and glasses 
were heard. Soon he brought out steaming cups 
of ginger tea, and the chilled men drank eagerly; 
it was hot, and the heat did the work. 

Tim by this time was as lively as ever. He 
took the tiller and sailed the “ Odin ” while Sam 
and Si found some things for the men. In a few 
minutes these wet, bedraggled, and exhausted 
fellows were happy with dry clothing on, and the 
heat within sent the blood rushing warm through 
their veins. 

Looking into the cabin, Mr. Seacome found 
that his daughter Trixy was awake, and getting 
warm fast. Then a steaming brew was brought 
her, which she tasted and said with a return 
of her usual twinkle, “ Must I drink this horrid 

stuff? ” 


268 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 

“ Every drop of it, Trixy dear! ” her father 
answered. Then he let his feelings go. “ Trixy, 
dear, we are safe together again! Isn’t that the 
blessedest thing! Your poor old dad had a terrible 
fright for a moment or two, but a fine young 
fellow named Tim, got to you in the nick of time. 
And now you’ve nothing to do but to get nice and 
warm, and we ’ll soon be home.” 

“ But the ‘ Fortuna? ’ ” 

“ Oh! I don’t care about anything now that 
you are safe. We’ll send a tug for her. Now you 
mustn’t talk. Just rest. I’m so happy we are 
safe and her father gave Trixy a great hug and 
a kiss. 

The sun was shining once more in all his glory 
and the sea and the air were gleaming with bright¬ 
ness. The warmth began to dry up the moisture 
and bring cheer to all their hearts. The wet 
clothing of the men were hung out to dry, and the 
“ Odin ” was leaping in her grandest fashion to get 
them home. Mr. Seacome had a cottage at 
Marblehead Neck. 

“ Just where we were trying to make for,” said 
Sam to Mr. Seacome, “ when we got a sight of 
you.” 


The Storm and What Came of It 269 


“ And I shall never forget your skill and courage 
in reaching us ” said Mr. Seacome, with emotion. 
“ We could none of us have held out much longer, 
— and my dear Trixy was all in ” — then Mr. 
Seacome found that he could not go on. 

When he had steadied himself, he turned to 
Tim to say: “ To you I owe my deepest thanks for 
saving my daughter. Then he gripped Tim by 
the hand, as the moisture stood in his eyes. 

“ Don’t mention it, sir. It was nothing. 
Jumping into the sea is one of my habits. It 
was nothing at all! I should have been a chump 
not to do what I did — and I did not get my 
usual plunge this morning,” Tim continued, with 
one of his winning smiles, “ and this going over¬ 
board for your daughter will make up for that. 
Why I feel better than I have done all day. That 
plunge was just what I needed to make me fit! ” 

“ It was a great act of heroism,” still went on 
Mr. Seacome. “ The waves were terrible, and I 
shall never forget them. I owe Trixy’s life to you 
Tim, and I shall always be grateful to you,” and 
again Mr. Seacome could say no more. 

He turned his back on Tim and looked far out 

to sea. 


CHAPTER XVI 


MARBLEHEAD NECK 

They still had ten miles to go before they could 
reach Marblehead and the skipper of the “ For- 
tuna ” was now able to tell his tale. 

William Carson had been the sailing-master of 
Mr. Seacome’s yacht since it was built five years 
before. He was a man of thirty-five, an average 
good sailor and man. He had been, as he said, 
“ around boats all his life.” 

“ We saw the storm coming, and we thought 
that we had plenty of time to get down the ‘ For- 
tuna’s ’ sail before the blow struck us. But we 
missed our guess. 

“ That was the fiercest wind I ever remember. 
The trouble was that it struck us before we were 
ready. It quite took me by surprise. Of course 
we all saw that something was bound to happen 
pretty soon, but not so soon as it did happen. 
You all know how it is on a yacht. We wanted to 


Marblehead Neck 


271 


get home, and sometimes, a storm hovers around 
for an hour or two before it breaks. For a long 
time you hear the rumblings before it hits you. 
We were ten to fifteen miles away from home — 
and in deep water too — too deep for anchoring, 
even if we wanted to anchor. I said to Mr. Sea- 
come — he will perhaps remember it — that we 
were going to get some wind, but how soon I did 
not know. He told me to use my best judgment, 
and to carry sail as long as I thought it safe. So 
I carried sail, watching, all the time for signs of the 
storm. 

“ Well! I never saw a storm move so fast! It 
was on us before we had a chance to make the right 
move. I did the best I could to shorten sail, and 
to store it aboard. But things would not work. 
In the strain the blocks did not run smoothly. 
The halyards seemed to act as if they were tied 
with knots. And in my excitement I forgot to 
unhitch the sheet-rope from the cleat. I am ready 
to take all the blame there because one of the most 
foolish things to do on a small yacht is to tie your 
sheet-rope to a cleat. Something is sure to hap¬ 
pen to your mast or your boat if a squall hits you in 
that condition. And you know that ” turning 



272 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


quickly to Sam, “ I guess, about as well as anyone 
here, since I’ve seen the way you handle your 
boat.” 

“ Well! my sheet-rope was tied when that wind 
struck us — and something had to happen! 
Now you fellows were out in it and know some¬ 
thing of the force of it. I should say that it blew 
at a hundred miles an hour when it swallowed us. 
It knocked us flat all right — and I am afraid that 
it must have caught some other skippers napping. 
I tried my best to bring the ‘ Fortuna ’ up into 
the wind before she went over. But it was no 
use. She was on her beam’s end before I could 
throw the wheel well over. There was no life to 
her. She seemed held as if in a vise, and the 
next thing I knew we were in the water, and the 
blackness and the swirl all about us. 

“We were all tossed into the sail, and that at 
first saved us. But it soon got so rough that from 
that side the waves would wash over us, and soon 
they were going right over the ‘ Fortuna.’ I 
crawled to the deck of the yacht and got some 
rope, and we all clung to that. Then we got to 
the lee side of the boat, clung to the keel, and 
so avoided the terrible pounding of the waves. 



Marblehead Neck 


273 


But the water was cold, and we must have been 
an hour in it before you reached us. I was chilled 
to the heart, myself, and I guess the others were 
pretty bad — especially Miss Trixy.” 

“ Well you’re all safe now, and that’s the big 
thing to remember,” said Si. “ It’s been a terrible 
storm and we had all we could stagger under, 
ourselves. The ‘ Odin’s ’ one of the best, but she 
couldn’t have endured it much heavier. It was a 
dreadful experience for us all I guess; but it’s 
over! ” 

“ Yes! ” assented Mr. Seacome, “ You’ve got a 
mighty trim craft — an able boat — anyone can 
see that with only half an eye. A great sailor, 
and splendid in a sea. What a grand bow she’s 
got! and her width for her length is unusual, but I 
remember Cape cat-boats, are built on a wider 
model than most boats. I can tell you,” turning 
his head, and nodding to them all, “ it’s a pretty 
fortunate thing for those who were on the ‘ For- 
tuna,’ to have had such a craft about — and such 
good seamen ” — he added, with a thankful smile. 

Just then a tall slim girl of twelve, with reddish- 
golden hair down almost to her waist, and having 
a pair of red blankets around her wrapped Indian 


274 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


fashion, put her head out of the companion way, 
and said, with a radiant smile, “ How do you do? ” 

“ Why Trixy! ” said her father. “ Are you 
awake? ” 

“ Yes, and I’ve got tired all alone below. May 
I come on deck? I’m feeling fine, and I don’t 
believe any thing is the matter with me. The sun 
and air are what I want.” 

“ Do come up, my dear! I am so glad to see 
you; and, I want you to see the fine, fellows who 
saved us; Tim—Tim Brady, first, for he is your 
special savior. He jumped overboard in that 
terrible sea, and got to you just in time.” 

“ Did you do that for me? ” said Beatrice Sea- 
come, with her big brown eyes looking into Tim’s 
as if she found pleasure in them, “ Oh! Thank 
you! ” — and, then, she impulsively threw one 
bare arm about his neck, and kissed him fervently. 
At which show of gratitude — Tim’s face became a 
ruddy red, even above the tan, while they looked 
at each other. Then Trixy took the end of a 
strand of her long hair and held it up to Tim’s own, 
one and all broke into a laugh — the color of 
Tim’s hair and Trixy’s was identical. 

On the run to Marblehead Trixy became the 


Marblehead Neck 


275 


life of the party, but in reality, she had eyes for 
no one save Tim. Her glance would follow him 
everywhere, for from the first moment she saw 
him — and heard what he had done — he became 
her true knight and hero. 

By this time Marblehead Neck was well in 
sight, and very soon they were around the rocky 
point. It was agreed that Si should go ashore 
alone, take away Mrs. Seacome’s possible alarm, 
and bring back dry clothing for Trixy, Mr. Sea- 
come and Mr. Carson. 

On the way to the Neck they had been fortunate 
enough to have a motor yacht pass them on its 
way to sea, the owner of which was a friend of Mr. 
Seacome. Hailing this yacht to stop, while Sam 
brought the “ Odin ” up into the wind, Mr. Sea- 
come told his friend of his accident and the “ For- 
tuna’s ” plight. Immediately his friend, said, 
“ We will try to find your boat at once and tow her 
ashore! ” 

“ That would be a great service to me, if you 
could, but I don’t want you to delay your 

trip.” ' 

“ It will be no delay at all. We are out only for 
a pleasure run, and I am only too glad to accom- 


276 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


modate you. We’ve got to help a fellow, in a 
scrape, you know,” — this with a merry nod. 

“ Thanks. Good-bye! ” and the “ Odin ” was 
off. 

Dropping anchor in Marblehead Harbor one 
of the finest harbors on the Atlantic Coast — a 
mile long, and a mile wide, and never without its 
deep sea water — was a delight to all. As soon 
as ever the “ Odin ” was pulling at her rope, Si 
was off for Mr. Seacome’s cottage on the Point. 

While Si was away, Mr. Seacome learned some¬ 
thing from Sam and Tim of what had brought 
them to Marblehead. His interest in them and in 
their plans was further aroused. 

“ It’s a splendid idea, and I congratulate you 
all on your enterprise.” 

“ Now, for the present, I am without a yacht — 
and that will never do for us — will it Trixy? ” 

“ Never, Daddy.” 

“ So I mean to engage the ‘ Odin ’ until the 
‘ Fortuna ’ is ready — if my friend finds her and 
is able to tow her ashore; and — if you are willing 
— please consider the ‘ Odin ’ engaged by me until 
further notice. If the ‘ Fortuna ’ arrives Mr. 
Carson will have all he can attend to for awhile in 


Marblehead Neck 


277 


getting her ready for sailing. During this interval 
of waiting the 1 Odin ’ is j ust the thing for us — 
and you will be my sailing-master ” — this to 
Sam. “ Why it’s mighty fortunate for me to get 
a yacht, like the ‘ Odin ’ for my use. Do you 
agree to it? ” 

“ Oh! Yes, sir! Nothing would suit us better 
than an arrangement like that — if you really 
need the ‘ Odin ’? ” — and Sam’s honest eyes 
searched Mr. Seacome’s. “ Want her! Why I 
jump at the chance! I must have a boat, for the 
sea is my one tonic — that is what brings us to 
Marblehead Neck. So we’ll consider the matter 
settled, please,” — and Mr. Seacome gave Sam 
his hand. Trixy showed her pleasure at this 
point, by seizing her father’s arm and ex¬ 
claiming, “ Oh Daddy Seacome you are a perfect 
lamb! ” 

When Si returned with clean clothing, and the 
rescued were in spick and span condition, Mr. Sea¬ 
come and Trixy made a fine showing. Mr. Sea¬ 
come was a young man — not over forty with a 
reddish brown beard and brown eyes, a striking 
looking business man, with a kindly, alert face. 
In his college days he had been quite an athlete, 




278 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


and since then, had kept himself in excellent trim. 

He stood very straight, and his broad shoulders 
gave him quite a military air. And now that 
Beatrice was dressed in civilized garb, it was seen 
what a strikingly supple, and graceful girl she was. 
She was only twelve, but unusually tall for her 
years. Her every movement, so natural and spon¬ 
taneous, was a delight to the eyes. Her skin was 
of a rose tint, and her long golden-red hair hung 
in two heavy braids down her back. In her natty 
navy blue suit and hat she looked the sailor girl 
to perfection. 

Tim’s eyes took note as he saw her in this trig 
attire! quite a different girl, surely, from the one 
he had jumped into the water for. He thought 
to himself, “ What a beauty! ” 

“ Now as Papa has got your consent for us to 
have your beautiful yacht, I may come aboard 
any time I want to — mayn’t I? — ” and this 
young princess turned her sunny and beseeching 
face upon them. 

“She’s yours to do with just as you like,” 
answered Sam, gallantly. 

“Oh! then I’ll be on her all the time. But we 
must go ashore to see Mama, though I shall be 


Marblehead Neck 


279 


back before you can say Jill Robinson/’ she threw 
back at her friends over her shoulder. Tim rowed 
Mr. Carson and Mr. Seacome and Trixy to the 
Neck. 

The noise of Mr. Seacome’s accident by the 
capsizing of the “ Fortuna,” soon got abroad, and 
the fame of the “ Odin’s ” achievement with it. 
Sam and Tim and Si were much talked about, 
especially Tim. It was soon learned what had 
brought them to Marblehead, and requests 
began coming in immediately for engagements for 
the “ Odin.” But Mr. Seacome was to have the 
yacht as long as he needed it. There were, 
however, four men who were very insistent on 
engaging her for a week’s cruise, and would not 
take “ no ” for an answer. They talked with Mr. 
Seacome about it when they could not button-hole 
Si, Tim or Sam. These men had been trying for 
a month to find a safe, fast yacht. The “ Odin ” 
was just what they wanted. Her coming through 
that storm had proved that! The papers had told 
of the havoc of the storm in Boston, and else¬ 
where. No less than eight yachts had been over¬ 
turned in Boston Harbor, alone, and there had 
been as many deaths! 


280 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


The “ Fortuna ” had been towed to Marble¬ 
head, had been beached, and Carson was at work 
on her every day, to put her once more to rights. 
He believed that in a week she would be ready for 
sea, but he proposed to put another ton or two of 
ballast near the keel, and under the flooring, before 
she was floated again. She needed some stiffening 
he knew. 

During that week Trixy almost lived aboard 
the “ Odin.” She would follow her new friends 
about everywhere as if they belonged to her, and 
always regretted it when she had to go ashore. 
Mr. and Mrs. Seacome took frequent sails, so they 
all got well acquainted. While the “ Odin ” 
was working off Tinker’s Island, one brilliant 
morning with the sea ruffled with small white-caps 
by a southeast breeze and Mr. and Mrs. Sea- 
come and Trixy were on deck, a remarkable sight 
presented itself. About a thousand yards from 
where they were sailing suddenly a huge body 
appeared on the surface blowing in the air from 
its great head two parallel columns of sea-water. 
“ Oh see the whale! See the whale! ” cried out 
Trixy, and in her excitement nearly went over¬ 
board. There surely was a whale — and a mon- 


Marblehead Neck 


281 


ster! While they were commenting on the unusual¬ 
ness of its appearing near Marblehead waters it 
suddenly dived, churning up the sea like a Cu- 
narder. They could watch the wake of its rushes 
almost as clearly with the naked eye as with the 
glasses; and the swell from these rushes was as 
marked as if the whale were a powerful submarine. 
Then the strangest sight of all added to their 
excitement: thousands of fish, of all kinds, both 
big and little, were jumping out of the sea and into 
the air as high as ever they could leap. It was 
evident that they were all trying to escape the rush 
and open mouth of that monstrous whale. Then 
those on board the “ Odin ” began to think that 
they, themselves, were in danger from that rush¬ 
ing giant, for they could feel the swirl of its motions 
about them, as the yacht responded to it. “Let’s 
get out of this! ” said Mrs. Seacome. It s 
thrilling, and I wouldn’t have missed it for any¬ 
thing; but if that whale should ever strike our 
boat not one of us would live to tell the tale! ” 
At once Sam pointed the “ Odin’s ” bow towards 
Lynn, while Si trimmed in the sheet, and soon the 
whale and the swirl were well astern. 

“ Now, what should have brought that whale to 


282 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


these waters? ” inquired Sam of Mr. Seacome. 
“ You have me there/’ replied Mr. Seacome. 
“ Of course the whale, it is evident, was on a ram¬ 
page after the smaller fish, but I can’t think what 
should make him come along up the New England 
coast, and so near to our shore. Unless,” he 
reflected, “ that mighty storm that hit us a few 
days ago also hit him sending him a few hundred 
miles out of his way. Once in a while I have 
caught a glimpse of a whale in my cruising,” he 
added, “ it doesn’t happen every day, I can tell 
you a good many pretty old yachtsmen have 
never seen a whale — and such a sight as we’ve 
all seen today isn’t on the cards for many to see! 
How those fish leaped out of the water as that 
giant struck at them! I shall never forget it as 
long as I live! ” 

But their surprise was not wholly over, when 
they reached Marblehead Neck there was great 
excitement there; for two men in a motor launch 
had put out from Tinker’s Island and had reported 
the phenomenon of the hungry whale and flying 
fish. Naturally, therefore, hundreds of persons 
were on the Neck glasses in hand, eager for a sight. 
And when Mr. Seacome and the rest told their 


Marblehead Neck 


283 


story, it can be imagined what new excitement 
was on. The story spread everywhere. But the 
wonder of the whale’s coming was not yet over for 
the following morning’s paper, with big head-lines, 
had this to say: 

“ Fishermen of Marblehead and Swampscott 
made record hauls yesterday, when a mammoth 
whale drove large schools of fish, of all sizes, into 
shallow water. The whale was discovered off 
Tinker’s Island, Marblehead, by two men who 
were summering on the Island, and who brought 
the news to the shore by motor boat. Thousands 
of residents lined the shores in the eager expecta¬ 
tion of seeing the leviathan of the deep, and any 
kind of motion on the surface of the sea would 
bring hundreds of glasses pointed to the spot. 
But as proof that the whale had been doing his 
work on a vast scale, need only be said that today 
thousands and thousands of fish were driven 
ashore. Soon, every fishing outfit along that part 
of the coast was in action. Many loads of fish 
were brought in, but the whale was given a wide 
berth.” A fitting climax to their day of adventure 

they all thought. 

The next day, while sailing, it was noticed that 


284 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


Mr. Seacome and Si were very much together. 
“ Anything up? ” remarked Sam at last. Then 
both would look quite guilty, he thought, and 
he wondered what was on. 


I 


CHAPTER XVII 
THE RUN FOR HOME 

After the great storm, Sam had written Elsie; 
and Si, Betty, to let each know that nothing had 
happened to them. They only incidentally re¬ 
ferred to the picking up of the “Fortuna.” The 
three boys also wrote to their mothers. For two 
weeks, at least, their letters were to be sent to 
Marblehead. 

In a week’s time the “ Fortuna ” was ready and 
though Trixy rebelled, Sam agreed to take Mr. 
De Forest and his three friends for a week’s out¬ 
ing in the “ Odin.” Mr. De Forest had agreed to 
pay — his own proposal — $50 each — two hun¬ 
dred for the four — for the week. Sam said that 
this was too generous but Mr. De Forest said, 
“ Why the cruise will cost us less than we now pay 
— at the hotel.” 

“ Well, but on the ' Odin,’ we can give you no 


286 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


such fine service. It will be the simplest sort of 
fare. The food will be good, but no style, you 
know.” 

“ That’s just what we want — plain, nourish¬ 
ing food, a shake down, and our fill up with sea 
air! ” 

“ Well, we can fill the bill for you, I guess, on 
that.” 

So the matter was settled. 

Sam, Si, and Tim thought their problem out, 
and decided to buy two, three and a half foot 
mattresses for the standing-room, and to use their 
canvas awning at night for themselves as was done 
on the Buzzards Bay cruise. By this plan, as at 
Plymouth, the men could have the cabin. 

The food question was a simple one — merely 
stocking up with a week’s supply. Fresh meats 
would be cut out, for the sea was full of fish! 
There were plenty of fresh vegetables to be had — 
almost any day they could get ashore. The plan 
for the week’s cruise was to run around Cape Ann, 
and as far as Portland, Maine, stopping, per¬ 
haps, at Old Orchard for a day either going or 
coming. 

While the “ Odin ” was being got ready for her 


The Run for Home 


287 


sea voyage, Mr. Seacome came aboard and handed 
Sam a check for his week’s use of the boat. Sam 
glanced at it, and immediately, tried to hand it 
back to Mr. Seacome. 

“ It’s too much, sir! ” 

“ Too much! It isn’t half enough. I consider 
what you boys have done for me can never be 
repaid — certainly not in money. That check is 
what I think the ‘ Odin ’ has been worth to me and 
my family while our own yacht has been out of 
commission. I couldn’t think of paying a cent 
less. Why, that is only a trifle to me. Good- 
luck to you all, and a grand trip! Come back to us 
well and hearty. Don’t forget that my home is 
always open to you.” And Mr. Seacome took 
each lad by the hand, as a father might. 

The check was for $150. 

The cruise was a decided success. They had 
only one bad day, when the sea was rough, but 
the “ Odin ” carried them through it beautifully. 
Each day they were able to sail, and each night 
they put in for their well earned rest in some quiet 
haven. The third day out they reached Port¬ 
land. On the return trip they stopped at Old 
Orchard, and for a few hours, had a gay time 


288 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


ashore. On the long pier overlooking the sea 
they even went to a vaudeville show. 

The seventh day saw them safely back in Mar¬ 
blehead Harbor, and Mr. De Forest and his friends 
spreading the news that “ the ‘ Odin ’ was the 
fastest and ablest yacht afloat ”; and, “ that never 
had they had such a grand time! ” 

It had been Sam’s intention to go to Gloucester 
for a week, but the Marblehead engagements had 
used up most of the time. They might go to 
Gloucester for a couple of days — more than any¬ 
thing to get acquainted for another year — but 
he wanted to get back to Weymouth for the 30th, 
— just two months to a day from the time of their 
starting on their cruise. So their plans were made 
accordingly. 

Sam wrote Elsie that he should get home on 
August 30th, and that on the 29th, he should 
reach Hull. In the afternoon he would like to take 
her, her father, mother, and Dr. Winsor for a little 
outing — Betty of course, if she could manage 
it. 

Elsie’s reply was, that she would arrange every¬ 
thing, and that she would get Betty to spend a 
couple of days with her at Hull. This plan of 


The Run for Home 


289 


Elsie’s suited Si though he did not say very much 
about it. 

Tim, however, threw up his hat, and shouted. 

Before they left Marblehead a letter arrived for 
Sam, which seemed to throw him off his usual 
balance. For an hour he was as excited a young 
fellow as even Tim could be, and when spoken to 
he would give the strangest answers. Then he 
would come to again, and apologize, and get 
flustered. 

“ What’s the matter, old man? ” You act as if 
you were daffy. Have you come into a fortune 
from your blooming duke relative? ” jokingly 
inquired Tim. 

But Sam would tell them nothing save this: 
“ He had had a letter from his uncle, and they 
would know all about it, some day.” That was 
quite as far as he would go with his explanations. 

Altogether, the “ Odin ” made her head¬ 
quarters at Marblehead for nearly four weeks, and 
during his week of having the Odin and the 
intervals when she was in the harbor, Mr. Seacome 
got very well acquainted with Tim and Si and 
Sam, and especially with Si. For some reason they 
became the greatest of cronies, and would hob-nob 


290 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


together by the hour. In one way and another 
Mr. Seacome learned everything about the boys; 
about Sam’s and Si’s desire to go to college, and of 
Tim’s intentions to go into business; of their 
home life in Weymouth; and of all the details and 
incidents of the cruise. 

Mr. Seacome had large sympathies and was 
able to put himself in the places of his three new 
friends, and to enter fully into their hopes and 
prospects. This fine quality in him made him a 
delightful companion, and friend. 

He was the junior member in the importing 
firm of “ Williams and Seacome,” who did a large 
business with France, Italy, and the Island of 
Miquelon. The firm dealt largely in olives and 
olive oil, sardines and the specialties of St. Pierre, 
Normandy, and the Mediterranean. It kept two 
ocean steamers constantly plying between foreign 
and domestic ports. Another smaller steamer did 
nothing but steam between St. Pierre and Boston, 
and, in fact, supplied French Islands off of New¬ 
foundland with the things the people required, 
even to fishing necessities. Theirs was a re¬ 
markably interesting business — picturesque and 
many-sided. It was the firm’s purpose, Mr. Sea- 


The Run for Home 


291 


come told the boys, to do business with South 
America through the Panama Canal. For this 
extra capital had been acquired, and two large 
steamers were already purchased. 

When Mr. Seacome spoke of Miquelon, Tim’s 
eagerness got in ahead of Sam’s and Si’s, and he 
recounted to Mr. Seacome their experience that 
day at Duxbury with the French Cable. This 
story greatly interested him. But all things must 
end, and the time had come for the “ Odin ” 
to point her bow homeward. A two-days’ stay 
in Gloucester, to get the lay of the land, an after¬ 
noon’s stop at Hull, a sail with the Cottings, and 
HOME on the thirtieth! 

When they left Marblehead Trixy was almost 
inconsolable, and nothing would appease her 
but that she should come to Weymouth to see 
them. She stood with her father and mother on 
the point of Marblehead Neck watching the 
“ Odin ” until she became merely a dot in the 
distance. 

All on board the yacht were affected by the part¬ 
ing, and by this show of devotion of the Seacome 
family. “ What great friends we have made on 
this cruise! ” remarked Si. “ The money we have 


292 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


picked up seems small, indeed, compared with 
these friends we have found.” 

“ Right you are, Si. We ought to feel pretty 
proud of them. There are none better than those 
we have discovered on our cruise,” reflected Sam. 
Tim said nothing for once, but it was plain to be 
seen that he was doing a heap of thinking, and his 
merry face lacked its usual smile. 

u Cheer up, old boy, we’ll be sailing around 
these parts again, and we are going HOME! ” 
Then the three broke into a “ Rah! Rah! Rah! ” 
together. 

Before leaving Marblehead they had all written 
that they should be home on the thirtieth, and 
Sam knew that when he reached Weymouth he 
should find his mother returned from Vermont, and 
the house garnished for his return. He knew his 
mother, and that nothing could hold her back 
from being in Weymouth to receive him. It had 
been a long time for her, he knew, as it had been 
for him, but soon now they would have the fun of 
talking it all over together. 

The afternoon’s outing with the Cottings, Betty, 
and Dr. Winsor, was delightful. The weather was 
perfect, and the breeze just right to show the 


The Run for Home 


293 


“ Odin ” off at her best. Dr. Winsor could not 
refrain from bursting out: 

“ I knew that you had a remarkable boat but I 
really did not think that the * Odin ’ could make 
the showing she does. It’s truly wonderful the 
way she rushes through the sea, and throws the 
water from her bow: not one boat in a hundred 
could go through such a chop as we are in now and 
come through with a dry deck. And nothing 
overtakes her! It’s a treat, indeed!” “ I am glad 
that you like her, Doctor,” smiled Sam, “ This 
afternoon, of all afternoons, I should not want her 
to behave badly.” 

It was a keen joy to Si and Sam, also, to see the 
pleasure written on Betty’s and Elsie’s faces as 
they turned to them happy and sparkling eyes. 
It was evident, as well, that Mr. and Mrs. Cotting 
were enjoying the afternoon. Content was 
marked in every line of their faces. 

At four tea was served, and Tim, as usual, came 
in for much praise. He had delicate slices of 

toast and cakes ready for them. 

On the run to Hull, Sam, Si and Tim had 
worked out their plans to end the cruise properly. 
Sam had suggested that they should meet at his 


294 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


house — a fine, old colonial mansion, which had 
been in his father’s family for a century — and 
have, as a wind-up, a sort of banquet. He knew 
that his mother would be delighted with this. 
Then the plan had developed so as to include, 
beside Si’s, and Tim’s mothers, Betty, Elsie, and 
Trixy. 

The boys believed that everything could be got 
ready for September first. Before Elsie and Betty 
went ashore they received their invitations. 
Their acceptance was immediate. 

“ Why, its splendid! ” said Elsie. “ Betty can 
stay right on with me, and we’ll motor over to 
Weymouth. We can go over in a few minutes, and 
we can come at any hour and help your mother — 
if she would care to have us — get things ready. 
It will be lovely! ” 

“ Yes! ” echoed Betty, “ I can phone home and 
arrange to have the gardener even pick me some 
flowers from my garden, and we’ll make the 
room a bower of beauty. Your mother, prob¬ 
ably, has flowers too — and we’ll decorate the 
house.” 

“ Yes! ” said Sam, “ my mother would be 
delighted to have you, and she has flowers enough 


The Run for Home 


295 


to help out — at least she had when I left home, 
two months ago.” 

“ It will be charming,” went on Betty, all 
radiance and vivacity. “ And Si — Oh! pardon 
me ” this with a roguish look — “ Mr. Epping, 
will perhaps help me to decorate.” 

“ Nothing would please me better,” said Si, 
with a happy look. Then good-byes were said, 
and the afternoon’s outing was over. 

The thirtieth arrived, and when the “ Odin ” 
swung at her old mooring, three well content 
young men clambered into the tender over her 
side. “ We’ll soon be home! ” said Sam. “Hustle 
with the oars, Tim! ” And Tim sent the tender 
through the water as if she were a racing machine. 
How pleasant it was for them to look upon the 
banks of the Weymouth once more. 

“ I didn’t think that the dear old Weymouth 
was so fine! ” exclaimed Si. “ How green the 
marsh-grass is! And the wild-roses have not all 
gone by. There’s the church spire. See how it 
takes the sunshine, fellows! Yes! it’s a great little 
place! Push her along, Tim! ” 

“ Oh! I’m pushing, all right! What a morn¬ 
ing! Say, fellows, ain’t it fine to be alive! Say! 


296 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


do you think our folks ’ll be expecting us? 
Back water, quick, you old Dynamo! in a second 
we’ll be ploughing into the sand.” The keel of the 
tender scraped sharply on the shore, and with a 
quick jump Sam, Si, and Tim were on the land. 

The meeting between the three boys and their 
families, after the long separation, was indeed a 
happy one. Between Sam and his mother there 
had always been so much sympathy, and Mrs. 
Virs was over-joyed to get her boy back again. 
She was eager to know everything of the cruise — 
with none of the details left out. But the story 
was a long one, and Sam had got only a little way 
into it when he exclaimed: 

“ Mother dear, I want to have a sort of banquet 
for the evening of September first if you can 
manage it. I have, already, asked the friends I 
have got intimate with on the cruise, but you will 
want to invite them, yourself. So sib down, at 
once, like a dear, and write each a note for the 
first.” 

So Mrs. Virs sat down gladly, and wrote to 
Betty and Elsie and to Mrs. Seacome for Trixy. 
Mrs. Virs had already had some correspondence 
with Mr. Seacome, for after the boys had saved 


The Run for Home 


297 


him and Trixy from the wreck, he must write to 
their mothers to express his gratitude for the great 
service their sons had done him. 

The next day, the thirty-first of August, Sam 
told his mother that he had some important 
business to transact with his uncle Dick, which he 
would not tell her about, now, but would tomor¬ 
row night, at the banquet. 

By nine o’clock, Sam was closeted with his 
uncle in his office in the Old South Building, 
after which, they both went to the First National 
Bank. 

The first of September opened with one of those 
bracing northwest winds, with snow-ball clouds 
scurrying across the sky, and the sky the color of 
robin’s egg blue. The air was clear, with just a 
suggestion of mountain crispness in it, which the 
sunshine gave promise, before the day was out, of 
driving away. 

Tim, Si, and Sam met during the morning, and 
went over every conceivable plan for making the 
evening the great wind-up of the trip. They were 
all very much excited at the prospect of seeing and 
entertaining Betty, and Elsie, and Trixy. They 
all put themselves at the commands of Mrs. Virs, 


298 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


and that good lady set them to work with a will. 
She had, already two women under orders, and was 
overseeing, herself, the bread, pies, and cakes. 
When the morning was ended, the house, garden, 
and lawns were as clean and trim as eager hands 
and hearts could make them. In the dining 
room was a great open fireplace, with white birch- 
bark sticks laid for the match. 

When Elsie and Betty arrived in the early 
afternoon everything had been done, save making 
the salads, and decorating the house. The ices 
were to be sent from town. WTat a happy time 
the young people had in decorating! They went 

to the woods and got armfuls of ground pine and 
scarlet berries, and from Mrs. Virs’s garden they 
cut asters of delicate shades — with a great many 
white ones. And Betty’s man had brought, as 
many as he could carry, late roses and dahlias, 
wonderful dahlias, with heads six inches across. 
Though it was late for forget-me-nots, he had 
brought with him one bunch from Betty’s brook, 
for the table. 

When the decorations were completed the effect 
was strikingly brilliant. In two corners of the 
room, Betty had placed by themselves single, tall 


The Run for Home 


299 


vases of red salvia surrounded by plenty of deep 
green ferns. 

“ How vivid! ” exclaimed Mrs. Virs, when they 
at last let her have a peek. “ What taste you all 
have — it is all harmonious, and exquisite!” 
and her face glowed with delight. 

“ Your mother is just beautiful herself, Sam,” 
whispered Elsie, “ I just love her! ” Sam looked 
his appreciation of Elsie’s words. She turned 
quickly away, saying, “ What a fine old house 
this is! ” 

“ Yes! It has been in my father’s family for a 
century. My mother and I think a good deal of 
it.” 

“ Of course you do. It’s one of the real colo¬ 
nials. The hall and staircase are perfect, and the 
white paint and soft blue paper just set them off. 
The old mahogany furniture everywhere is de¬ 
lightful.” 

“ Thank you, Elsie, I know that mother will be 
glad that you like it.” 

At that moment Mrs. Virs appeared, and Elsie 
said, “ Mrs. Virs, I was just telling Sam how very 
much I am in love with this old house of yours.” 

“ Are you? Well! that is nice of you. Sam’s 


300 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


father thought it was the one perfect house, and 
of course, Sam and I love it. But it is good of you 
to like it too.” And Mrs. Virs gave Elsie an 
affectionate look. “ It makes me very happy to 
have you with us,” she added with a gentle 
courtesy. This brought a flush of pleasure to 
Elsie’s cheeks. 

“ Everything is all ready now,” Mrs. Virs con¬ 
tinued. “ There is nothing more to do for any 
one of us. Shall we go into the garden and rest?” 


CHAPTER XVIII 

ALL-ROUND SURPRISES AT THE 

FINISH 

In the garden they found Betty and Si and Tim; 
these three were having the most animated con¬ 
versation, and Betty was flying from one flower to 
another, with her bird-like motion. 

“ Mrs. Virs, this is an exquisite old-fashioned 
garden of yours. I am getting all the suggestions 
I can for my own. Who looks after it for you, 
Sam? ” “ Yes! he does something, but I get up 

each morning by six, and have an hour all by 
myself. For the really hard work, I have a man 
come in occasionally. There is nothing pleas¬ 
anter than working in one’s garden, by one’s 
self. It’s a place for reflections rather than 
conversation, and one has to be alone.” 

“ I understand it quite well, Mrs. Virs.” 

“ Sam has told me, what a wonderful garden 
you have, Betty. It has made a great impression 


302 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


on him, and he tells me that Si thinks it is the most 
remarkable place he has ever been in.” 

“It is not as wonderful, at all, as they say. 
Please don’t think so. I have been trying to carry 
out some of my own ideas, and I, naturally, think 
well of it ” — and Betty beamed. “ You must 
see it, some day, Mrs. Virs. Please come to 
Plymouth soon! ” 

By five o’clock Trixy had arrived. Sam had 
met her at the station. She was so excited at 
being with the boys again that she could not con¬ 
tain herself. Elsie, Betty, and Mrs. Yirs were 
greatly taken with the child, with her naturalness, 
with her striking appearance, and with her 
impulsive generosities. 

Her golden-red hair had on its most bewitching 
gleams, her fair cheeks looked like a blush rose, 
and her movements were grace itself. 

“ Isn’t she fascinating? ” said Betty to Elsie. 
11 Why she is just a lovely flower. Tim must be 
proud, indeed, to have saved her.” And the 
impetuous Betty went over and gave Trixy a hug. 
“ I am so glad you are with us. We shouldn’t 
have had half a time, without you,” she said. 
Surely a sunbeam crossed Trixy’s face! 


All-Round Surprises 


303 


Just before six, Mrs. Epping and Mrs. Brady 
arrived and were given the warmest reception. 
Trixy said to Mrs. Brady, “ I have wanted so 
much to see the mother of Tim! ’ ’ 

“ Ah, my dear! Fve heard all about you. Tim 
tells me that you’ve made too much of his jumping 
in the water to save you. He is a good boy, is my 
Tim, and to be trusted. I’m glad, my dear, to see 
you,” and Mrs. Brady lifted one of the braids of 
Trixy’s hair. “ Yes! it’s a good deal like Tim’s 
but ever so much shinier and softer.” Thereupon 
Trixy put her arms about motherly Mrs. Brady 
and thanked her again for Tim and his brave 
deed. 

With the coming of Sam’s uncle the party was 
complete — ten in all — and they seated them¬ 
selves about the round flower-decked table. 

Before they had begun to eat, Betty jumped up, 
and exclaimed, “Oh! I must have a white flower 
in every mother’s hair! ” In an instant her active 
fingers had put a delicate fringed chrysanthemum 
in the hair of the three mothers. The boys 
beamed, the mothers smiled, and the feast began. 

The fire had been lighted, and its ruddy flame 
filled the room with a new cheer. The flowers 


304 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


responded by showing to the glow new tints and 
shadows. 

For a time little was eaten because of the eager 
conversations. Each one wanted to know the 
other, and the cruise was on everyone’s lips. 
After the ices were served Sam was to tell the 
financial story in detail. 

At last Sam arose, with a deepening color on his 
brown cheeks, and asked those at his right and his 
left to pass to Si and Tim each a piece of paper on 
which his name was written. “ I am keeping one 
for myself,” he said. When Si and Tim read what 
was written on his paper it was noticed that waves 
of amazement passed over their faces. “ Why 
Sam,” burst out the impetuous Tim, “ What’s the 
joke? This can’t be for me! ” 

“ No joke at all, Tim! It’s 0. K. and there’s no 
joke on you either, Si. My paper reads for the 
same amount as yours.” Each paper was a check 
which called for the payment to the bearer of one 
third of the summer’s profits. Then Sam pre¬ 
sented his Treasurer’s report: 


All-Round Surprises 


305 


“ For the cruising season, beginning June 23, 


and ending September 1. 

Sale of 126 lobsters caught by Portu¬ 
guese Joe, and sold by the ‘ Odin’s’ 
crew in Boston (one-half for each) 

$37.20. $18.60 

Catch of 177 mackerel @ 18 cts. 31.86 

Two days on Pilot boat. 20.00 

Cruise to the Brewsters ($24, less $6 

com.). 18.00 

Sale of sword-fish, 502 lbs. @ 20 cts. lb.. 100.40 

Cruises from Plymouth ($340, less com. 

to Dawson, $96) .. 244.00 

Engagement of “ Odin ” by Mr. Sea- 

come. 150.00 

Week’s cruise to Portland, and return.. 100.00 

Other cruises from Marblehead. 114.00 

Sale of ambergris. 860.00 


Total. $1,656.86 

Incidental expenses, not taken out 

from figures given above. 48.22 


Balance 


$1,608.64 















306 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


One third of $1,608.64 equals $536.21, the 
amount on each check.” 

Everyone at this point burst into clapping, 
cheering, and happy Ohs! and Ahs! and well! 
well’s! When order was restored Sam explained 
that while he had paid out the expenses for food 
from his funds on hand so that his figures, in 
large part, represented a NET profit, the item of 
“ Incidental ” expenses included the last small bill 
for food. They had been fortunate in getting 
plenty of clams and fish, and they had had fre¬ 
quent gifts of fresh vegetables from the gardens 

4 . 

of their friends, so that their summer’s expenses 
had been proportionately small. He trusted the 
report would please everybody as keenly as it had 
him. He was terribly grateful, speaking for him¬ 
self, and he knew that he could say the same for 
Si and Tim. Never had boys found such loyal 
friends, never had boys had such a jolly good time 
— and then he found he had said it all. 

At Sam’s reading of ambergris $860, there had 
been blank and surprised faces showing all about 
the table. 

“ What’s ambergris? ” inquired Tim, “ I never 
heard of him before.” 


All-Round Surprises 


307 


“ Do you remember the chiefs head/’ chuckled 
Sam, “ that you picked up on the Duxbury Beach, 
tossed to me to play ball with, and were in a fury 
because I would not toss it back to you so that you 
might throw it out to sea? — well, that’s amber¬ 
gris! ” 

“ Well! tha.t’s carrying the joke prett y far— 
you don’t mean t to tell us, honestly Sam, that that 
grayish, black ball bobbing on the water of the 
sea-shore was worth any I860? ” 

“ That’s just what I do mean,” answered Sam, 
his face all smiles. “ But, I’ll call upon Uncle 
Dick to tell the story, and convince every doubting 
Thomas of you.” 

Thereupon Sam’s uncle got to his feet, cleared 
his throat, and began: “ Sam’s telling you the 
truth,” were his first words. “ It seems that 
ambergris is one of the world s valuable pioducts 
— in fact it’s much more costly than gold —in 
large part, of course, because there is so little of it. 
Ambergris belongs to the sperm whale — a sort of 
abnormal growth, I believe which is cast off only 
by certain whales. Being lighter than water it 
floats, and in time, reaches the seashore, and is 
up by some fortunate discoverer. Its 


308 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


value is for the perfumer, who uses it as a base for 
delicate perfumes. In permanence of odor it is 
exceptional, and in delicacy of perfume it is un¬ 
rivalled. To give you some idea of its value 
commercially, a New York Trade Journal quoted 
‘ gray ’ ambergris, last week, at from $22 to $25 
an ounce. Now for the story of the eight hundred 
and sixty dollars! 

“ About a month ago, Sam burst into my office 
with the announcement that he had something 
under his arm which he thought was valuable, and 
which he wished I would help him with. He, 
thereupon, told me the tale of the find along the 
Duxbury Shore, and said, that he thought that 
it was ambergris. Now, at that time I w'as 
almost as much at sea at his statement as Tim now 
seems to be. ‘ Ambergris? ’ 1 what’s ambergris?’ 
I put the question to him, just as Tim put it a few 
minutes ago. Then all of a sudden it flashed upon 
me that I had read somewhere — in some news¬ 
paper, probably — of a girl’s remarkable find of 
ambergris which was worth several hundreds of 
dollars. That remembrance sharpened my wits 
a little, and I became more friendly to Sam’s 
bundle. We opened the package, and at once my 


All-Round Surprises 


309 


office was filled with a sweet, aromatic perfume — 
a sort of an earthy smell of the most pleasing sort. 
That perfume started my enthusiasm, and I told 
Sam that I would gather all the data I could 
regarding ambergris, and if he wanted me to, 
dispose of it as advantageously as I could. 
This, he told me, was just what he wanted me 
to do. 

“ So I took up his case, and with this result: 
I sold the chief’s head, as Tim calls it, to a large 
perfuming house in New York, for $20 an ounce. 
The head weighed just 44 ounces. I was obliged 
to make a personal trip to New York to transact 
the business — and, as Sam insisted upon paying 
my railway and hotel expense — I was obliged to 
deduct from the $880 I received for my ambergris, 
twenty dollars which gives you boys just $860 
for that little adventure of yours along the Dux- 
bury sands — and, that is the story of the amber- 
gns. 

“ Well! I’m jiggered,” burst out Tim. “ Say, 
Sam, if it hadn’t been for you, I’d have been tossing 
that $880 right back into the sea again. I knew 
that I was something of a fool,” the boy went on, 
“ but,” and then he looked at Trixy, and there was 


310 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


something in Trixy’s face, that shut his speech off 
at once. 

Surprise and incredulity and gladness were all 
so mixed up on the company’s faces that it was 
difficult to tell which emotion was the strongest, 
until little Trixy got up to say a word, and then 
there was no doubt about it, for when she said, 
“ Isn’t it lovely! ” and her face became a sun¬ 
beam, joy took possession of them although 
in Mrs. Brady’s eyes the tears were shining. 

At this point Betty took the proceedings in 
hand — which was just the thing to do to give vent 
to their feelings — and called out in a laughing 
voice, “ Three cheers for the Sperm Whale!” 
After the noise was over Trixy, who had been 
standing during this outburst, brought out a small 
package — all done up in white tissue paper and 
ribbon — which she handed to Tim, with the 
remark, “ This little box is for the ‘ Odin,’ because 
I love her so!” 

At once a new excitement set in, which showed 
itself by cries of “ I wonder what it is! ” “ What 

in Thunder! ” this from Tim. 

With fumbling fingers he undid the ribbon, 
opened the satin-lined green velvet box, peeked 



All-Round Surprises 


311 


at its contents, and passed it on to the others. 
In that box were three rows of shining, gold coins 
three double eagles at the top, three at the bot¬ 
tom, and three eagles between — $150 in all! 

Tim was too overcome to say a word, and Si 
was tongue-tied. So it was left to Sam to stammer 
their thanks. He sent one of his beaming looks 
toward Trixy — which expressed his feeling better 
than words could have done, and then pulling 
himself together, he looked at his friends around 
that happy table, and said something which nearly 
broke them all up — and at the same time brought 
a rosy flush to Trixy’s beautiful face. 

Never had boys warmer or sincerer friends! 
Never were there prouder or happier mothers! 
Never was there a brighter or more gladsome scene 
in all this land than that in Mrs. Virs’s home on 
the evening of that first of September! 

“ What a cruise! ” exclaimed the heretofore 
silent Si. “ Tim can make his venture in business, 
and Sam and I are assured of the first two years at 

Harvard! ” 

“ Rah! Rah! Rah! ” sang Elsie and Betty with 
pretty trills and quivers. “ Oh! that reminds me 
of something which Daddy told me to be sure to 



312 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


give to Tim — I had forgotten all about it! ” — 
and out of the little bag which Trixy wore at her 
belt she produced an envelope. 

“ Read it, Tim,” commanded Mrs. Brady. 

So Tim read: — 

Marblehead, September first, 
Mr. Timothy Brady, 

Weymouth, Mass. 

My dear Tim: — 

I am sending this letter by the hand of 
Trixy because I want it to reach you on your festi¬ 
val night. And, first, I want to assure you and Si 
and Sam, of my unforgettable indebtedness to you 
all, and of my constant friendship. Since my first 
meeting with you, I have never failed to feel 
grateful for my acquaintance with three such 
straight-forward, courageous lads, and I wish for 
you on this happy occasion all good and all bless¬ 
ings. May success follow the undertakings of 
you all. 

And now a word for yourself. You have led me 
to believe that you would be interested in a 
business career, and my own firm would be honored 
in having you in its service. If you could persuade 
yourself that you could give your services to us, I 


All-Round Surprises 


313 


assure you that I will do everything I can, per¬ 
sonally, to advance your prosperity. We should 
like you to learn our business with the hope of a 
steady climb toward the top. 

Please think the matter over carefully, and come 
to see me at your convenience. 

With best wishes, always, 

Believe me, 

Your sincere friend, 

SAMUEL SEACOME. 

The letter is here, but the truth must be told 
that poor Tim never read the whole of it. He got 
as far as “ May success follow the undertakings 
of you all ” — then he could go no farther. Si 
finished the reading to the accompaniment of tears 
and smiles. 

“ Three cheers for Mr. Seacome! ” burst from 
Elsie. 

“ And three cheers, and three cheers more, for 
the ‘ Odin 9 and her crew! ” from Betty. 

In the excitement Sam jumped up, and seizing 
the “ Odin’s ” flag waved it high over their heads. 
Cheers, and more happy laughter! Then Elsie’s 
deep contralto voice started “ The Star Spangled 


314 


The Cruise of the “Odin” 


Banner,” and in a moment every one was singing 
with her, and with the deepest feeling. 

The eyes of all were shining and the hearts of 
all were beating in tune with the joy of the hour. 

Thus in a blaze of happiness ended the Cruise of 
the “ Odin.” 





























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. CJCT11 1928 
















































































































































































